Demons & Angels: Part IV
by Clouded-Days
Summary: AU. After the incident, Bakura goes to Earth in search of Ryou. It turns out the boy remembers nothing, leaving Bakura in ruins. The two are trying to help Ryou remember his past, but it's going to be much harder than they think... COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

OH YEAH! Part IV is here my friends! Hope you guys enjoy it like you have the others and I look forward to hearing from some new people. :D

* * *

Bakura let out a loud yawn. He had been traveling for days, and he was beyond exhausted, and hungry. But he pushed on to find Ryou.

_I made a promise. And I won't stop until I fulfill it._

Bakura paused as he noticed a train coming into the station, black smoke smudging into the sky. He bit his bottom lip, and read the sign that had been propped up. _Headed East… Well, I guess I don't have anything to lose, do I?_

As the train began to leave, and to avoid paying for a ticket, Bakura stood on the walkway, and as the train moved past, he took a daring, flying leap from the walkway, and managed to grasp the handle on the very back of the train. He pulled himself up, muscles tensing, and clambered over the edge, entering the compartment from the back.

People stared at him as he walked down the isle before taking a seat next to the window, his jacket hood pulled far over his eyes, hiding them from view.

He pressed his hooded forehead against the fogged glass of the window, staring out of it.

"_Approximately three hours before reaching lower branch, eastward."_

"Hn." Bakura muttered to himself. His eyelids grew heavy quickly, the man exhausted. Pale hands grasped the armrest slightly before Bakura lulled into a deep sleep.

-

The snow was pouring down, collecting on the ground, buildings, and everything in sight. The calling voices from the train station echoed slightly before mingling in with the little amount of voices.

Ryou was curled up in the corner of the alleyway, weakened. His body hadn't adjusted, and had developed a full-blown cold. On top of it all, he had learned nothing about himself, having nowhere to go, and no food, which only made him weaker.

The teenager tried to stand up, but not having anything to eat in almost a weak, he had no strength, and collapsed face first into the rapidly deepening snow.

Trembling, he managed to stand up, and using support from the brick wall, staggered out of the alley.

He didn't want to steal anything. But he knew he didn't have a choice.

The albino crept along, staying close to the walls, and slid along, coming to a silent halt behind a fruit stand. He waited in silence until the owner turned away before grabbing a handful of fruits and ran off, sticking the access ones in his coat pockets, and instantly bit into a remaining one.

He was shivering, and frowned deeply in thought. Where was he supposed to go?

He turned his head over his shoulder, and he could've sworn he saw a flash of white. But he merely shook it off and continued walking.

* * *

Bakura let out a gasping breath, hands on his knees. He had gotten off the train an hour ago, and while asking for directions, he found out he was in the minor branch of town. He had spent the last fifteen minutes running around town, looking for Ryou, but he couldn't find the boy anywhere.

Continuing on, he frowned as more snow fell. He _really_ didn't like the cold. And the current situation only reminded him of Christmas he had spent with Ryou…

He tried, and failed, to shake away those thoughts.

He continued on, and paused as he passed the many stands, and found a commotion going on nearby. He made his way to the rapidly increasing crowd, standing on tiptoe to see over everyone.

He gasped loudly.

A white-haired boy was sprawled on the ground, two boys standing there, arms crossed. The white-haired teenager weakly tried to rise, and Bakura swallowed hard at how thin he had become. The first boy only knocked the albino down, and kicked him, hard. "How many times do we have to tell you to get out of here?!"

There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd.

"Hey!" Bakura shouted. All heads instantly turned towards him, including the small boy on the ground. "Leave him alone."

"Or what? And who do you think you are, waltzing in here like this and telling _us _what to do in _our_ territory?" The second one snarled.

"Because I can kill you all in an instant." Bakura said just loud enough for everyone to hear. The hood remained pulled over his head, hiding most of his white hair, although the long strands stuck out from under hood.

"You're bluffing."

"Am I?" Bakura asked, his expression firm, his eyes hard. The two boys swallowed, positive they saw the man's eyes switch from deep brown to bright red.

"Besides, what has he done to deserve this?"

"All he does is steal!" Someone in the crowd yelled, being the owner of the stand Ryou had stolen the handful of food from that one day not even a week ago.

"And that's a crime? How else is he going to get by? He obviously has no where to go, and since all of you are too arrogant to take him in, I can't blame him. Now, give me the boy, and I won't have to hurt anyone."

Everyone stared at one another, and made a little path for the man to walk through. Bakura began to walk towards the center of the circle.

The albino teenager swallowed hard, and tried to inch away from this man. Blood oozed from a cut on his arm, his teeth chattering and lips chapped from the cold. "N…No…" The boy whispered, his chin trembling.

"I won't hurt you." Bakura whispered, holding out a pale, slender hand.

But the albino didn't listen, and got to his feet weakly, and bolted.

"Hey! Come back!" Bakura shouted loudly, racing after the boy. He caught up in mere seconds, and tackled the teen to the ground.

The boy opened his mouth, and Bakura's eyes widened in an instant. He quickly slapped his right hand over the teen's mouth, his dark eyes filled with a small hint of panic. "Don't scream. Please." Bakura whispered.

The boy looked like he was going to cry.

"…Are you going to scream?"

The boy weakly shook his head. Bakura removed his hand slowly, but remained on top of the boy, and Bakura was sure he could hear Ryou's heart pounding loudly in the stillness. "W-What do you want from me?" The boy asked, voice trembling.

"…You…don't remember me?" Bakura asked, his eyes widening to the size of saucers in an instant.

Ryou frowned deeply. "I…don't even know you."

Bakura's heart shattered. _It…can't be… He…doesn't remember me? _The man thought, almost falling apart.

Bakura stared hard at Ryou for a long while. The boy was shaking horribly, and sneezed hard, loudly, suffering from a cold now. His face remained pale and rounded, skin pale and flawless, and spotted with white hair that fell into his face and cascaded down his back, although it was dirtied. A set of huge, chocolate brown eyes stared up at him. His jacket was worn, apparently not near enough protection. His jeans had holes in them now, and confusion, fear, and pain were printed on his face.

"I only want to help you." Bakura said honestly, crouching down to meet Ryou's eyes. "Please, just give me a chance."

Ryou swallowed. He couldn't sense much danger in this strange man, but people still frightened him. But this man had helped him. He had saved him. He was offering to help him. How could he be bad?

"…O-Okay." Ryou said softly, his voice trembling in fear.

"Good." Bakura murmured, and smiled. "Anyway, are you hungry?"

Ryou, after hesitating slightly, bobbed his head up and down. He didn't remember the last time he had eaten…

"Come on. Let's get you something to eat." Bakura said, and got off of the teen, and helped him stand up.

Ryou's eyes softened. He wanted the warmth back, now freezing cold. He tried to walk, but stumbled, Bakura catching him in an instant in his long, black-sleeved arms. They were wrapped about the teen's torso, holding him close. "Whoa, there. Can you walk or not?"

Ryou swallowed hard, and slowly shook his head. He was too exhausted and weak to be able to do anything right now.

He squeaked almost silently as Bakura picked him up, hefting him easily. "Come on. I can carry you for a while. I can tell you're tired."

Bakura's eyes softened. He could feel Ryou shivering, and the boy sneezed. "You're sick…and you're cold, aren't you?"

Ryou nodded weakly.

"I'm going to have to fix that." Bakura muttered.

Ryou's eyes grew wide as Bakura took off his trench coat, and wrapped it tightly about the teenager. Ryou welcomed the warmth, and soon he found it harder and harder to maintain wakefulness. It was only minutes before he drifted off into a deep, warm, comforting slumber.

Bakura stared down at the bundle he was holding onto. _I made a promise, and I will fulfill it. But what happened to you, Ryou? You said you wouldn't ever forget me…_

_Did…something happen when you were switching realms? _Bakura pondered and kept walking.

* * *

Ryou gasped, his eyes flying open. He sat bolt upright, and noticed he was in a bed: a very soft one, with a fluffy pillow and loads of blankets. He lay back down, and sneezed, welcoming the warmth he finally felt. He glanced at the door when he heard it open.

"Oh! You're awake!" The white-haired man said, and smiled.

Ryou swallowed hard as he stared at the man, Bakura's hips swaying just barely as he walked. His jeans had holes in the knees, and his black jacket zipped up all the way, the hood pulled over his face. To Ryou's shock, the man pulled the hood down. His face had pale, untouched white skin like his own, completely perfect. A dark set of brown eyes stared hard at him, his lips curved into a small smile. White hair, even longer than his, stopped almost at his hips, ending a few inches from there in his lower back and covered most of his face. His fingernails were abnormally long. The strangest thing though, was the scar. It ran down his cheek, a single line slicing down vertically, followed by two symmetrical slashes cutting through the first. His legs were long; his body tall and lean, though muscular.

"Feeling any better?" The man asked, and walked over to the bed, and took a seat next to Ryou.

Ryou silently nodded. He was still nervous about this man…

"W…Who…are you?" Ryou asked weakly.

"Oh, right! I forgot…" Bakura murmured, remembering that apparently Ryou's memories of him were gone. "I'm Bakura."

"Bakura-san-"

"No. There's no need for that. Just Bakura, okay?" The man said, smiling.

"O-Okay." Ryou said weakly. "C-Can you tell me…why you actually wanted to help me?"

Bakura swallowed. He didn't know what to say now. Should he tell the whole story, or keep the past a secret until the time was right? Did Ryou remember anything about his past? What else was he forgetting?

"Well…it's actually…a really long story…"

* * *

Chapter 1: End.

A/N: So, is it good or bad? Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

YAY! An update. :D Thanks to the reviewers especially!

* * *

Ryou frowned hard. "…What…exactly do you mean?"

Bakura was fidgeting now. What should he do? "Well…I-I think we've met before. A-And I just wanted to help you. I could tell you were having a rough time… But, anyway, can you…tell me anything about you? Like…why you were there?" Bakura asked, secretly testing out the boy's memories.

Ryou lowered his gaze to the sheets on the bed, clutching them tightly. "…I…I honestly don't know. I don't remember anything about myself except my name and how old I am… And I hate it. I want to know more, but I can't!" Ryou's head snapped up. "Wait. You said you've met me before. C-Can you tell me anything?"

_Other than you're an angel sent here because I almost killed you? _Bakura thought bitterly, and mentally kicked himself for his stupidity. "Well…your mother and sister died in a car accident when you were eight. Your birthday is in September, and-"

"W-We must've met before." Ryou interrupted. "You…know more about me than I do… So…" Ryou looked up at Bakura. "When did we meet and how? Please. I want to know."

Bakura swallowed hard. Now what? He had backed himself up into a corner… If he told, Ryou might not believe him, or worse, think he was insane… "…Y-You have to promise to keep this a secret. Don't breathe a word of it to _anyone_. Promise?"

"But why-" Ryou gasped as Bakura roughly grabbed both of his arms. "O-Okay, okay. I promise…"

Bakura slowly let the boy go. "S-Sorry. A-Anyway…" The man closed his eyes for a long moment, trying to decide what to say. "…I don't know if you'll believe me…but…you're not from here. We met in a whole other world. You…you used to be an angel, and I…I used to be a demon. There was this really big war going on, and both of us were posted there. You were a healer, and I was a fighter… Things went on from then."

Ryou stared at the man, and frowned. Most of him didn't believe it, but another part of him wanted to believe it… "Can you prove it?"

Bakura's hopes plummeted. _He…doesn't believe me… Well, of course he doesn't. That story didn't even sound realistic… But…it's true. So I'll have to prove it. Hey, wait. If I found Ryou…how come I don't have my power back?_

_/All you had to do was ask, Bakura. And hey, I'll give you back your wings, but I get a larger piece of your soul./_

_/Deal./ _Bakura said instantly.

"Don't scream." Bakura commanded, and clambered onto the bed. Ryou sat there and watched in silence. Bakura's body became stiff suddenly, and Ryou gasped as the man let out a noise, arching his back. Ryou's eyes were huge as Bakura's back arched farther, followed by a strange object poking through. _What's…going on?_

Bakura wrapped his arms about himself, and kept back a scream just barely, before throwing apart his arms.

Ryou fell backwards on his elbows in shock, his eyes widening to an impossible size.

Leathery black wings majestically sprouted from Bakura's back, and went high into the air as far as they could reach. The wings opened from their previous folded position, and lowered slightly, hanging just above Bakura's head. The tips had talons, along with the bottoms, the parts where the wings folded webbed.

The room was clouded with black feathers. The black objects swirled around in circles, and there was so many they couldn't be counted.

Ryou reached out slowly with a trembling hand, and touched the wings lightly before resting his hands upon the fluffy objects. _T-They're real… But…this can't be…!_

He gasped again as Bakura's eyes flew open, pure red. A light glowed about his chest momentarily, and Ryou watched as Bakura threw back his head, his wings spreading to full length.

He could feel it. Bakura groaned loudly, feeling his power coming back. _Yes…_ He welcomed it back, wanting it back so badly… And as his vampire power returned, his appearance changed for mere seconds.

Ryou swallowed hard, seeing Bakura's pupils contracting for mere seconds, his ears pointing, fingernails and canines lengthening. But just as quick as it happened, it all went away, and Bakura was left in his normal identity again.

Bakura straightened up, and his irises went back to brown instantly. "…Now do you believe it?"

Ryou was shaking in fear, and his eyes were wide. "…I-It…it's not real. It can't be… H-How…could this happen…?"

"Ryou, please, just listen to me!" Bakura screamed, and grabbed Ryou's arm.

"Don't touch me! _Don't touch me!"_ Ryou kept screaming, struggling madly in the man's grasp.

"Ryou!" Bakura yelled, sharply tugging the boy's arm.

"NO! NO, NO, NO!" Ryou repeatedly yelled, crying.

"_RYOU!" _Bakura screamed as loud as his vocal cords allowed, and it made his throat throb. He roughly shoved Ryou into the mattress, sitting on top of him, their chests mere inches apart. "Just listen to me. Please, just listen to me."

"G-Get away from me, demon." Ryou whispered. His mind was racing, his limbs numbed. He just didn't understand it. If this man really was a demon, why would he say they were friends? He didn't believe that story any longer. How could he be an angel? And even if he was, how could an angel and a demon mix?

"Ryou, please. I've worked so hard to find you. I worked so hard to save you. I was literally falling apart when you left. I…I got depressed. For a while I only loaded up on ice cream, but after that, I couldn't eat anything. I couldn't stop wishing and regretting what I did. And I even used Forbidden Magic just to get here. I'm giving up pieces of my soul just to find you, Ryou. And you don't remember any of it. And now that I'm proving it to you, you just don't want to believe it. Is it because I'm a demon?" Bakura asked. His voice was trembling, as if he was close to tears.

Ryou felt Bakura's grip loosen. He swallowed, but didn't answer, unable to look away.

"And now you're just pushing me away." Bakura whispered. "I…I was hoping things could go back to normal…but…apparently that's…not going to happen." Ryou blinked as Bakura got off of him.

Bakura got up from the bed silently, and stood. His wings were drooping in sadness now, and without another word or backwards glance, he left the room, leaving Ryou there alone.

* * *

It was late at night. Bakura was sitting there alone in the main lobby in front of the fire that was glowing in the fireplace. His wings weren't visible, since he had managed to retract them into his body, out of sight. He raised the cup to his lips, taking a large swig of coffee. He didn't want to fall asleep, in case his memories came back. He _really_ didn't want to think about Ryou right now. 

Ryou was hiding around the corner, watching the man silently. A part of him felt guilty. Bakura must've been telling some truth… He must've been a demon; how else could the wings be explained? And if the rest of the story was true, he couldn't help but feel guilty. If this man really did work that hard, and now Ryou was pushing him further away, not trusting him or believing him, how could that man not be upset? This person must've cared. He saved him, he looked after him for a while. And if the story was true, then he saved his life, and almost sacrificed his own to come after him…

"Bakura-san?"

Bakura didn't say anything. He knew Ryou had been standing there for a near hour. He could feel the presence. But right now he honestly didn't care, and didn't really take any notice of the add-on Ryou was putting to his name.

"Bakura-san, I'm sorry…" Ryou murmured, approaching the leather armchair the man was sitting in.

"No you're not." Bakura whispered. He didn't look at the boy. He couldn't. He didn't want to, not now…

"But I am."

"No you aren't!" Bakura snapped, sitting straight up, and glared hard at the teenager, eyes glimmering red. "I've done so much for you, and I've tried so hard to get here and get all this done, and this is how you treat me! I don't care if your memories are gone! The least you could do is trust me! But no, you can't even manage that!"

Ryou didn't say anything. He noticed Bakura's chest beginning to heave from screaming so much, his eyes showing red. His hands were clutching the armrests with incredible force, teeth gritted.

"I never should've came." Bakura whispered, and stood up. He went around Ryou, and the boy trotted after him, desperately trying to get the man to listen. But Bakura merely ignored him, and went into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door.

Ryou, defeated, sighed and sat down on the floor.

Bakura rested his head on the door. He was trembling, struggling to hold back tears of anguish and pain and regret and anger. He screamed loudly, and clamped his eyes shut as he forced his wings out, the objects instantly sprouting from his back and spreading to full length, sending the room into a whirlwind of black feathers. Bakura staggered, his hand going to his forehead. _What… _He screamed as a light glowed about him, wings further spreading apart.

The man collapsed to the tiled floor, wings remaining spread. His eyes were clouded, and he stared blankly out at the swirling feathers before he blacked out.

Ryou flinched as he heard Bakura's last scream, and went to the door. Locked. He growled to himself. _Now, what?_ He sneezed, and groaned, before trying to focus, but his head was hurting from his cold.

The boy took notice of the metal coat hanger hanging up nearby. He grabbed it, reshaping it quickly, and jammed it into the lock. He fumbled around for a few seconds before the door clicked, and he opened it, gasping loudly.

Bakura was on the floor upon his side, black wings beginning to wilt. His skin was paling out further, the whirlwind of black feathers continuing.

Ryou scampered over to the man, and got down on the floor beside him. He noticed the man was trembling violently, his entire body stiff as a board. Ryou tried to gently roll the man over, but he froze.

Bakura screamed loudly, his back arching as more feathers came loose. A whitish glow emitted from his body, and he screamed louder than ever before.

Ryou inched back in pure fear as a white object was pried from Bakura's form, and hovered in the air momentarily before it vanished. He glanced back down at Bakura, who was limp in unconsciousness on the floor.

Ryou grunted as he slipped his arms under Bakura's body, and picked him up. He stiffened, being weakened and not used to carrying much weight, and staggered towards the lobby. He could feel Bakura violently shaking in his arms.

Ryou set Bakura down lengthwise on the leather armchair, Bakura's long legs dangling over the edge of the armrest. Ryou sneezed quietly, and looked about, grabbing a blanket, and draped it over the man.

Bakura whimpered, his head rolling to one side. "…N…No…y-you…can't…do this…"

Ryou frowned, and hesitantly touched the man's shoulders. He almost screamed as images began to flow into his mind, and yelping, he pulled away. Trembling, he ran a hand through his hair. _What…just happened?_

He frowned deeper as he noticed Bakura's wings beginning to withdraw, before completely disappearing into the man's body. _This is so weird…_

Ryou sat down on the floor, watching Bakura in silence as the memories in the demon's consciousness continued on.

* * *

Chapter 2: End. 


	3. Chapter 3

Ergh, a very slow update. Sorry. But I had a writer's block on this for a while, but I managed to finally get over it. :D

* * *

Bakura's eyes flashed open. He was panting, writhing on the armchair in a cold sweat. Chest heaving, he ran a trembling hand through his wild hair and closed his eyes.

After he managed to calm down, he glanced about. His wings were withdrawn, noting the blankets draped over him. Frowning, he looked about, and noticed Ryou curled up on the floor, sleeping soundly.

"…I just wish you could remember, Ryou…" Bakura said softly. The usual glimmer in his eyes was gone, replaced by a look of sadness. "I just…don't understand it. We did so much…and now it no longer matters. You don't remember any of it, Ryou…" Bakura whispered, voice almost cracking. He closed his eyes for a long moment, and took a deep breath before reopening the orbs. "…If only you could remember…"

The man managed to stand up, but he didn't get anywhere. His legs broke instantly from under him, and he collapsed, letting out a loud wince. The sound and movements made Ryou stir from his sleep.

Ryou opened his eyes quickly, though he was exhausted, and looked about. He frowned as he noticed Bakura, the man trembling, and straining to get up. "…Bakura-san…?"

"H-Hn?" Bakura stammered, on his hands and knees, trembling violently. He gasped as Ryou took his forearms, and helped him stand.

"…What…happened earlier? When you were on the floor…this white thing… I…don't really know how to explain it, but there was this smudge and glow…"

Bakura looked away, down at the floor. "…It…it was…a piece of my soul."

Ryou froze, eyes wide. "…W…What?"

"I told you." Bakura said softly. "I gave up pieces of my soul just to get here. We're from a whole other world, Ryou. And in order to get here, I had to use magic that was forbidden, trading a fraction of my soul to get here. And…before I came…I made a deal with the owner. I gave him my powers, so in case I never found you, he could keep my power, but if I did, I'd get my power back, but give a piece of my soul up instead."

"…Did…it hurt?"

Bakura nodded slightly. "I should be used to it though. He should have so many pieces of my soul totaled up it's a surprise my body still has enough to have it still standing."

_He did all that…just to come after me? Why? I don't understand…_

"Come with me. I want to show you something." Bakura said, and headed for the door. Rou hesitantly followed.

The man led him outside, where it was dark, and snow still falling. Bakura let his wings go free, the black objects unfurling from his backside and spreading. He looked at Ryou before raising his head to the sky.

Ryou blinked, positive he could see a red glint in the man's eyes. He too looked up, noting the full moon. He glanced back at Bakura, eyes growing wide.

Ryou gasped, stifling a scream as Bakura lashed out, seizing his forearms. His eyes were huge as Bakura leaned close, visible fangs curving from his lips, clawed fingers clutching his wrists. "…Ryou…I'm so sorry…but…I can't…"

Ryou clamped his eyes shut as Bakura moved closed, taking his neck between his lips and biting into the pale skin. The crimson ribbon trailed down Ryou's throat, staining Bakura's lips and running down onto their shirts.

And soon Bakura pulled away, wiping his mouth with his sleeve, fangs and lips bloodstained. "Ryou…"

Ryou whimpered and dropped to his knees instantly, trembling violently. "W-Why…? Why?!" Ryou screamed, wrapping his arms about himself, tears forming in chocolate colored eyes.

"…Ryou…I'm sorry…" Bakura whispered, getting down beside Ryou. "I'm so sorry. I just wish so badly you could remember it all, wishing you could understand. That you could understand why things are like this…"

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura hugged him tight, Bakura's head over his shoulder, long strands of white hair touching Ryou's own. "…I'm so sorry, Ryou…" Bakura whispered.

Ryou relaxed a little, and stayed motionless. He frowned as he heard Bakura's breath become shaky, and felt the grip about him tighten.

He couldn't help it. Tears were swimming in his eyes, and he couldn't hold them back. He felt so guilty… Bakura sniffed, tears flowing down his face as he tightened his hug on the boy's body, as if he was fading away again, being torn away from him once again.

"B-Bakura…?" Ryou whispered. "Are…you hurt?" He asked, noting how the man was trembling and his breath was shaking.

Bakura pulled away, wiping his crimson eyes with his black sleeve, and sniffled. "…Not physically, no." He said quietly. Truth be told, his being was still partially shattered, the pieces scattered and needing to be rebuilt.

"…Did…I do something wrong?" Ryou asked softly.

Bakura shook his head. "No. You didn't do anything at all, Ryou. It's all my fault. I couldn't hold back. I hurt you, it was all my fault this happened. I…I deserved this." Bakura whispered, shoulders slumping.

Ryou's expression softened as Bakura's shoulders shook, obviously crying, although the curtain of white hair hid his face. His wings were drooping in sadness, fingers dug into his jeans. "…Bakura?"

Bakura sniffed, and looked up, tears in his eyes and going down his face. His and Ryou's eyes locked for a long while, and Ryou finally said, "…Can…I do anything to help?"

"…Just come with me. Please. I really want to talk with you."

"…Okay." Ryou said quietly.

Bakura shakily stood up, wiping away the remainder of his tears, and sniffed. "S-Sorry…"

"Don't be. You're upset, I can tell."

Bakura smiled. _So he's still the same. Caring about himself less than others. _He straightened, and spread his wings. "Come."

Ryou hesitantly got closer, squeaking as Bakura grabbed him and hoisted him onto his back. His wings were spread to full length, Ryou between them.

"Just hold on." Bakura said, and took off in a run, before jumping into the air.

Ryou gasped as Bakura flew high, the wind stirring his mess of snow-white hair, his coat fluttering. Ryou blinked, noticing how as the bangs flew around, revealing Bakura's ears, the tips were pointed.

What was this feeling? Ryou couldn't put his finger on it, but it felt…so _familiar_. Being up in the sky, flying… Why did it feel like this?

"…I just wish you could remember it all, Ryou." Bakura said sadly, eyes losing that glint in a moment.

"…Bakura…" Ryou said, and froze. He heard something. His eyes widened in alarm as Bakura sped up measurably. "H-Hey, what's going on?"

"Nothing good, that's what," Bakura said between clenched teeth. _Gunshots. This is bad. I just got here and I'm already a target._

Bakura swerved to one side, and winced loudly as a bullet reached his thigh, making him fall partially before he regained himself. With an eye closed in pain, he looked at Ryou. "I have to land. And I want you to run. Don't wait for me, I'll catch up, besides, I don't want you to get hurt."

"B-But…" Ryou didn't have time to finish.

Bakura screamed loudly as another bullet connected, and he felt faint. Weakly, he clutched his stomach, which felt like it was on fire from being shot. His wings retracted slightly, and folded, the man beginning to fall.

"Bakura! Bakura!" Ryou cried desperately. He screamed, clutching the man tightly as they fell, before they hit water.

Ryou's eyes flashed open, looking about frantically, and he slowly let go of Bakura. Ryou's eyes widened in alarm as blood began to cloud the water from Bakura's bullet wounds, Bakura's form bending back partially.

Ryou grabbed hold of the man, who looked at him weakly. His wings were going back inside of his body, bullet wounds bleeding in the water. His head was hanging backwards, hair floating about, and his limbs dangling loosely. "…G…Go…" Bakura whispered, before his head went back further, close to fainting.

_I won't leave you behind. _Ryou thought, and frowned, managing to direct his body upwards.

Ryou gasped as he broke the surface, an almost unconscious Bakura in his arms. Bakura's head merely hung forward, hair slicked down from the now bloodied water. Ryou stiffened as he heard heavy footsteps, and several beams from flashlights came close.

Ryou climbed onto the shore, and pulled Bakura out after him. Ryou, panicking, scooped Bakura up in his arms, and took off in a sprint, panting, his heart thudding.

And soon a group came to the area, collecting black feathers, and puzzled over it with one another, wondering if it was just an enormous bird of some sort or really a person.

Ryou darted through the trees, and soon, his breath was gone, and he sat down on the ground, setting Bakura down as well. He frowned at the bloody holes from the bullets in Bakura's right thigh and stomach. "You're like a misfortune magnet…" Ryou whispered, gently touching Bakura's shoulder.

Ryou jumped as a weird light glowed from his fingertips, and startled, went back from the man. The light stopped_. …Strange._

Bakura's eyes eased open just slightly, and raised his head just enough to look Ryou in the eye. "R-Ryou…"

Ryou shushed him quietly, removing his coat and draped it over the violently trembling Bakura, and helped him up. "Come on. We need to get you to a doctor."

Bakura staggered, trying to walk, wings no longer visible. But he was weak now, and couldn't hold himself up on his unsteady legs. Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou grunted, hefting him up, and put him on his back. "…R…Ryou…"

"No excuses. Come on. We need to go."

_He's still…exactly the same…even if he doesn't have his memories, he still acts the same way. _Bakura thought drowsily, and smiled a little.

Ryou blinked in confusion as Bakura began to sing quietly. His voice was soft and gentle, filling the air with a language he didn't understand. But it relaxed him from his rigid state.

It wasn't long before Ryou reached the outskirts of town again, a now unconscious Bakura on his back. The very little people that were outside gave them odd looks before running off.

Ryou sighed in loneliness, but brushed it off, and headed for the hospital. A gust of cold wind stirred his hair, and he noticed a black feather get pried loose from a spot inside of Bakura's jacket.

Ryou picked it up, and held it in his hand. He didn't let it go.

And when he entered the hospital, Bakura trembling on his back, and more stares were given, he merely tightened his hold on the feather as if it was his only line to sanity.

Summoning his courage, Ryou headed for the front desk, fearing the reaction and questions that would come about the unconscious, mysterious man on his back.

* * *

Chapter 3: End.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryou hesitantly came over to the desk, his hand clutching the feather so tight his knuckles turned white, and he was sure he heard Bakura murmur something quietly.

And suddenly, Bakura screamed loudly, writhing on Ryou's back, squirming viciously.

All attention turned to the two albinos instantly, and someone came running. Ryou sank to the floor upon his knees, taking Bakura's body and set him down gently. Bakura calmed just slightly as Ryou's slender hand touched his arm, but he continued to cry out in his unconsciousness.

"Is he okay?" A nurse asked, trying to hide the franticness in her voice.

Ryou shook his head. "H-He's hurt. He…he got shot."

The teenager didn't realize how exhausted he was until two men came to him, and hoisted Bakura off the floor. A splotch of blood showed through his jeans and shirt from the bullet wounds. Bakura continued to cry out loudly, but he wasn't screaming anymore.

"…Ryou…" Bakura whispered, finally still. "Don't…"

Ryou blinked, hearing Bakura's small plead. He watched silently as Bakura's body was placed on a stretcher, and soon, Bakura began to cry out once more, calling names and other things. He was squirming again, jolting and his head turning about.

"Ryou! Don't leave! Please…" Bakura cried out, and his body gave a violent struggle against the straps that were being added to his wrists to hold him still. "Ryou!"

Ryou's heart gave a small skip as Bakura screamed his name beyond loudly, but then, after he cried out his name, he fell absolutely silent and perfectly still.

Ryou followed the men and Bakura down the hall, not wanting to leave him alone.

* * *

"_He was calling names… He fought for a while, screaming his lungs out… At least, until his strength died away and he was empty."_

"_It's a surprise. Being shot twice, and living, and managing to have enough strength to fight in an unconscious state… And a stomach wound, at that… the kid's lucky it didn't puncture a vital organ."_

"_Hey, shut up. He's moving."_

_Bakura's eyelids fluttered. He moved just slightly, and his head went to one side, making the mattress creak almost silently. He let out a soft groan and fell silent._

"_What do you think happened to him, anyway?" The first voice asked._

"_I don't know. He's a strange one, though." The third one answered moodily._

"_And that kid who was with him… It's all a big puzzle." The second one said, shaking his head. "But, I'm going to go get him."_

_Soon Ryou entered the small room with the man, and hesitantly came over to the bed, where Bakura was slowly waking up. The others left._

_Tears shone in Ryou's chocolate colored orbs as Bakura let out another small noise, and shifted position. His eyes slowly drifted open, his eyes utterly blank, no light reflecting, and the pupils wide. Slowly the pupils contracted, and as he blinked drowsily, they cleared just slightly. He looked weakly at Ryou, and gave him an exhausted smile._

_Ryou broke into tears instantly._

"_Hey…" Bakura whispered, and reached up with a pale, slender hand, and placed it gently under Ryou's chin, "Don't cry…"_

_Ryou was sure he felt his heart skip a beat or two. But the tears didn't stop._

"…_I…I'm so sorry… I…I let this happen…" Bakura whispered quietly._

"_No. Don't say that. This wasn't your fault. It wasn't. It was just…just a weird incident out of random. Really."_

"…_You're…such a…good kid…" Bakura whispered, and closed his eyes, and soon fell into an exhausted slumber._

Ryou sniffled, sitting in a chair outside the room. He heard a bloodcurdling scream from within, Bakura apparently the source. The man had been taken away not too long ago to have his bullets removed.

He clutched the feather to his chest, tears pricking chocolate colored eyes. He could remember seeing the pain and tiredness in the man's eyes, and he felt so guilty for it. For some reason he felt as if this whole thing was his fault…

Unable to get it out of his head, he got up and headed outside. It was like a huge recreation place for patients. He watched little kids run around with one another, containing hidden problems and injuries, laughing and screaming. Ryou's heart sank. If only he could remember being little like that…

He sank to the ground on the walkway, and cried.

He couldn't be more surprised when he felt a tug on his sleeve. Sniffling, he looked up, shocked to see small faces looking at him. "Hey, mister, are you okay?"

Ryou nodded weakly. "…Y…Yeah. I'm okay." He said quietly, and looked at the ground, not meeting the sets of innocent eyes staring at him. Trembling, he managed to stand up.

"Hey, hey, mister." One of the boys asked, tugging on Ryou's jeans. "You wanna play with us?"

"Play what?" Ryou asked, looking at the small group of children about him.

"You know, when you kick the ball around, and…and… I dunno what's it's called…" He said, scratching his head.

"Soccer?" Ryou asked, brow furrowing.

"Yeah, that's it!" He said, and smiled, and held out the ball for Ryou to take. "So, you wanna play?"

Ryou glanced over the smiling faces and sighed. He smiled a little himself and sighed, "Sure. Why not?"

There was a cheer from the little group, and they pulled Ryou to the small field, and Ryou was given the ball first.

And soon there was a game going on, and Ryou lost track of time, forgetting about Bakura, at least for a while, something else taking up that space.

* * *

Bakura staggered outside. His body hurt so badly, and he felt a little sick. He couldn't find Ryou, either.

The man frowned as he noticed Ryou's tall, lean figure on the small, green field, surrounded by children. The albino made his way towards the group.

Ryou stopped what he was doing as he heard a few cries, and turned, gasping quietly. "B-Bakura!"

"Ryou, what're you doing?" Bakura asked, noticing all the little kids.

"P-Playing soccer." Ryou said quietly, not looking at Bakura.

"…Hey, mister, are you Ryou's brother?" A child asked, tugging on Bakura's jeans.

"No. We're not related. Just…friends." Bakura said quietly, and looked up.

Their gazes locked for a long while. And finally, Ryou smiled. "Bet I can beat you at this game."

"You can not!" Bakura scoffed, not backing down from a challenge, despite his injury.

There was a small ripple of argument from the children, each cheering on their own favorite, most of the boys taking Bakura's side and the girls on Ryou's.

"Then prove you can beat me!" Ryou said, and took the ball from the ground. "One on one, you and me."

Bakura watched Ryou silently, cat-like eyes following his every move as Ryou bounced the ball on his knee for about half a minute, before dropping it, and kicked it.

Bakura darted after it, but with his wounded thigh, Ryou outran him, and scored first, before fetching the ball, and they made their way to the center line again. Bakura smirked, and Ryou placed his hands on his knees after throwing Bakura the ball. "Show me what you've got." Ryou said, swishing his hips just slightly.

_Oh, you'll see. _Bakura thought, and kicked. The ball nearly hit Ryou in the face, and the boy ducked, before they both ran after it. Bakura was pushing himself, running as fast as he could, his thigh thumping with pain, stomach feeling as if it was on fire. His hair flew out behind him, pants of breath passing through his throat.

The two made it there at the same time, and grew into a lock.

Neither of them could get around each other, the ball between a foot from each of them.

A smirk appeared on Bakura's lips.

Reeling backwards with his foot, he brought the ball with him, and kicked it high. It went over Ryou's head, and before Ryou could act, Bakura placed his hands on his shoulders, and leapt over him.

There was a roar of cheer and amusement at Bakura's stunt, the man darting to the ball and kicked it hard, getting a point himself.

Ryou smiled and went over to Bakura, who had sank to the grass. "You're doing well, I have to say. Though if you weren't hurt this would be a closer match." He noticed Bakura's discomfort instantly. "…Hey, you can stop, you know…"

"N-No." Bakura said stubbornly, though the idea sounded like quite a good one. His thigh hurt terribly, and his stomach felt alight, hurting so bad he felt sick. He was sweating, the substance flowing down his face, and his thick mess of hair only made him hotter. And suddenly the world gave a violent shake. "R-Ryou…" Bakura whimpered.

"A-Are you okay?" Ryou asked, sitting down the man. "What does it feel like?"

"M-My head…hurts… My stomach hurts so badly, and I feel sick… A-And my thigh hurts… T-The place is just…spinning and smudging and…and…" Bakura stopped, and doubled over.

"You need to stop. Right now. Okay? You're not in any condition to be doing this right now." Ryou said, and stood, helping Bakura up. Bakura merely nodded, feeling too horrible to fight.

"Hey, Ryou, is Bakura okay?" A girl asked, eyes wide.

"…He's just…a little banged up. He'll be fine later on, though." He directed his voice to the children now. "Guys, I have to go. Bakura's not feeling too hot right now, okay?"

There was a small grumble, and then a small murmur of 'okay'.

Ryou hauled Bakura onto his back, and walked towards the hospital again. As soon as he came inside, Bakura gagged, the air conditioner so very different from his overheated condition. And no sooner than when Ryou carried him into his registered room did Bakura race into the bathroom to empty his stomach.

Bakura came out a while later, face paled. He collapsed onto his bed, and groaned, in pain and tired.

Ryou force a thermometer into his mouth, and removed it not long after. "You have a fever. Do want some water?"

Bakura nodded weakly, a hand clutching his burning stomach, the other on his thigh, both hurting so _badly. _He watched Ryou leave in silence.

Ryou returned not too long after, only to find Bakura in a feverish sleep, lying on his side without any covers over himself. The boy sighed, not wanting to wake him up, but he reluctantly did so.

Bakura took the bottle of water handed to him and almost downed the whole thing, and groaned, pressing a hand to his sweaty forehead and shifted uneasily. "You just…_had_ to challenge me, didn't you?"

"Well, you didn't have to play…"

"And let all those kids think you're tougher than me? Yeah, right." Bakura said, and rolled his eyes. He sat there quietly for a minute or two, and then whispered, "Ryou, can…you find me some watermelon?" Bakura blinked, not getting a response. "Ryou?"

But the boy was off, almost in a trance. The comment had triggered _something_ in his brain… He could see images, with him and Bakura sitting together on a bench. Bakura was eating watermelon and he was just laughing, the two carrying on a conversation…

"Ryou!" Bakura said, and Ryou snapped out of it, looking at him.

"H-Huh? Did you say something?"

"I…I wanted to know if you could look for some watermelon." Bakura said quietly, arching an eyebrow at Ryou's weird behavior.

"Um, yeah, sure… I'll look." Ryou said, and hurried out of the room. He pressed a hand to his forehead, puzzling silently over the weird image he saw, along with that light from before that came from his fingertips, and when he touched Bakura's shoulder when he was out of it, he saw pictures…

What was going on?

* * *

Chapter 4: End.


	5. Chapter 5

He couldn't sleep at all. Hefting a sigh, Ryou shifted his position. Bakura's deep breathing could be heard, the man in a fit of heavy slumber, staying perfectly still.

He was so confused. He just couldn't figure out what was happening to him. But he was puzzling over Bakura's appearance as well. The man had wings, and theories of what he really was. He just couldn't decide whether or not to believe it.

He wanted to know about his past so badly. Was his family really dead? Where did he live? Was Bakura telling him the truth? He bowed his head, and began to cry quietly in misery. He wished so much to know, and it hurt so much to not have any memories.

The sound made Bakura stir. The demon awoke quietly, and noticed Ryou instantly, seeing him through his feverish vision. "…Ryou…?"

The teenager's head snapped up, and he froze. He looked away quickly, and sniffed.

"…Are you okay?" Bakura asked, sitting up. He frowned as Ryou shook his head. "What's wrong?"

Ryou didn't answer. His eyes widened, because in one swift movement, Bakura was at the end of the bed, sitting not even a foot away. "Ryou, tell me. Please."

"…I…I want to know about myself. It…it hurts. They say no one knows you better than yourself…but I don't. I know myself the least. I can't remember anything, Bakura. It's not fair…"

"Nothing at all?"

Ryou swallowed. "…N-No. I know my name and age… But it's weird. Last night…when you asked me to find you some watermelon…for some reason…I saw a picture. It was us…sitting on a bench…and you were eating it…and we were laughing and…and…" Ryou broke further into tears.

"Ryou." Bakura said in a serious tone, placing his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "Tell me what else. Please, this is important."

"…When you were out of it…I touched your shoulder. This light came out of my fingers, but…but I got scared. I moved it, and the light stopped. And this other time, I touched you, and I saw pictures…"

Bakura's heart swelled painfully with hope. He didn't say anything, but lashed out, grabbing Ryou in his arms.

Ryou squeaked as Bakura wrapped his arms tight about him, capturing him in a bone-crushing hug. "…B-Bakura?"

Bakura didn't hear. He was almost in tears, and tightened his hug measurably, as if Ryou was leaving again, his heart swollen with hope and belief.

"Bakura…are…you okay?" Ryou asked as he heard Bakura's breath increase and quicken as the man struggled to hold back tears.

"Yes. Yes, Ryou." Bakura said, squeezing tighter. "You're memories are coming back, and your powers are too…"

"But how come I can only remember that one piece?"

"I don't know. I guess they're coming back piece-by-piece. But it doesn't matter Ryou, you're getting them back! You'll be able to remember soon!" Bakura said, still hugging the boy happily.

Ryou squeaked weakly, feeling as if his ribs were being crushed. But he didn't fight, seeing how Bakura was taking it.

* * *

Ryou awoke silently. He noticed Bakura was awake already, but he was silent, staring off into space. Although it was unknown, the man was reliving his memories, the ones back at home…

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura's eyes filled with tears, two lone droplets traveling down the man's cheeks. "Bakura…?" Ryou whispered.

Bakura jolted violently, quickly wiping his eyes. "H-Huh?"

"…Are…you okay?"

"O-Oh… Y-Yeah. I'm fine." He said quietly. But he wanted the time to come. He wanted the teenager to remember it all right now, and he didn't want to wait anymore. He wanted him to regain those lost memories, and they could find a way to return to their own realm.

"Are you sure? You're crying…" Ryou said gently, noticing the tears that swam in Bakura's eyes.

"N-No I'm not." Bakura muttered. He didn't want to be seen in tears. It was just a sign of weakness, and he wasn't weak. Not now, not ever.

"You know…you don't have to be ashamed to cry." Ryou said as he sat down on the bed beside Bakura, and smiled. "It's not a bad thing, you know. It's a point of your emotions, and those are things that make you who you are. I may not remember anything, but…if what you say is true…then…you must be a really good person, Bakura."

Bakura's face blazed crimson. "I-I…I…" He stuttered, unable to get the words out. He looked away, blushing, and swallowed before meeting Ryou's eyes again. "I just want you to remember so we can go back." Bakura finally said, and lowered his gaze again.

"…That's…why you're crying?" Ryou asked. His heart skipped a beat. "…Then…I'm not really alone?"

"No. Ryou, I wouldn't just abandon you. I wouldn't just give up because things get too rough. You don't remember, but in our old place, we were shot at and wounded, picked on for who we were…we got into a lot of trouble… But we didn't quit. We pushed on and on…"

"Really?" Ryou asked, his eyes growing wide at the mention of his hidden past.

Bakura nodded. "We got hurt. Shot, stabbed, beaten… There was a lot of pain. But we were really the same if you looked deep down. Both of us were basically completely alone in the world, but we found each other, both of us having our own misfortunes. And even though you were an angel, you had a rough life, Ryou." Bakura said, and sighed. "You used to have wings. When we first met, they were such a pure white, which was really rare. But after this incident…one turned black. I offered to change it back, but you said no. You said you liked it like that…

"There were these two other boys. Malik and Marik. Both of them used to have wings, but they got cut off a while after we met… They're closer to each other than we are to them. They're also alone in the world. They only have each other, just like us…"

"Tell me more, Bakura, please…" Ryou begged, eyes glimmering in focus and hope. He was growing happy, yearning for more of his shadowed past. "Please, tell me about my family…"

"Your mother…if I remember correctly…you told me she was an angel. You had a sister and a father. Your father didn't have wings, and wasn't around much, since he had a job you didn't know much about. You told me you used to feel isolated and lonely when your mother got pregnant, since your father always looked after her, and you were often forgotten to take care of yourself. And then you had a sister come into the world. But it didn't last as long as expected…

"Your mother and sister got into a car accident and died. Your father…he wasn't at the funeral. You were alone. You told me you had to work for yourself, and when the money ran out, you had to get your own jobs…

"You were picked on for whom you were. You had to figure out life's greatest mysteries on your own. And eventually you joined in with the war. You never were a fighter, but a gentle one: you were a healer."

Ryou absorbed it in silence. He struggled to picture his family, but he saw nothing but darkness. He met Bakura's eyes in silence, expression urging him to continue.

"And we met randomly one day. I was wounded, and used your medical supplies. You saved me later on by healing by wounds, but I yelled at you for it. But you fainted not too long after. And the bond started, and strengthened. We went on and on, overcoming every obstacle in the way…"

Ryou's pulse quickened, and so did his breath, before he started to cry. He stiffened as Bakura hugged him silently, his touch soft. Ryou cried into his shirt, trembling violently. "I-It's n-not f-fair…" The boy stammered.

"What do you mean, Ryou?"

"How come I don't remember? I want to remember! I hate it! I hate it how I can't picture anything or remember myself or what used to be a family! And if you're not lying to me, how come I don't remember what you're talking about?! It's not _fair!"_ Ryou screamed. "Why did this have to happen to me? Why?!" Ryou yelled, and hit Bakura's chest hard, pounding against his ribs with his fist, and sobbing his heart out.

Bakura's expression softened, and let Ryou hit him in frustration and pain. He didn't mind. Besides, he couldn't blame him… His heart swelled painfully in pity at Ryou's heart-wrenching sobs, crying into Bakura's shirt. "…Do…you want to go out for a fly, Ryou? It'll calm you down, trust me…"

Ryou silently nodded, his breath harsh and his heart pumping fast.

"Come on, you need it." Bakura said, and picked the still crying Ryou up, putting him on his back, where Ryou cried into his jacket.

Bakura silently went outside to the recreation area, which was abandoned since most people were eating at the dusk hour right now. His wings sprouted majestically from his backside, and he felt instantly at ease. His mind's eye was filling with memories, calming ones…

Ryou blinked as Bakura's wings spread to full length, and beat twice, sending black feathers loose. He lifted his head just as Bakura went into a sprint, and took off. He calmed slowly.

Bakura began to sing, his soft voice filling the air and he sped along. It felt so good to be able to be in the sky again, and to have Ryou remembering things little by little, it cleared his once fogged conscience.

"…Bakura…I want to be able to fly." Ryou whispered, fingers digging into Bakura's back.

"You'll be able to. You'll get your memories and powers back, and soon, you'll get back your wings. I promise that I'll get them back."

Ryou squeaked as Bakura's sped increased greatly, the man chuckling. Ryou shut his eyes tight, holding on with all his might. And suddenly his eyes flew open as Bakura stopped abruptly.

He looked up, confused. Bakura was still, but remained in the air, black, leathery wings beating to maintain height. "What is it?"

But Bakura didn't hear. His heart began to quicken, eyes growing wide. He could see a fire beneath his feet, and smell blood.

"Bakura? Bakura, what's wrong?"

Bakura began to shake as his senses crept in. He took a shaky inch backwards, but couldn't pull his eyes away. The flames were controlled, but the scent of blood… It was clouding his mind. And he could hear screaming…

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed as Bakura dove towards the ground, before landing. He landed so sharply the boy toppled from his back and onto his rear. "Bakura, where're you going?!" Ryou cried.

But Bakura didn't hear him, and was running off into the woods.

Ryou shakily stood up, and went after him. He came to a clearing, and gasped loudly.

There was a small fire. Bakura stood in front of it, flames dancing in blood red orbs, wings spread fully, fangs protruding from his lips and claws at his fingertips. There was a group of people, about ten, five on five, and some bleeding from bullet wounds.

And as Bakura licked his lips, they dropped their guns.

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed as Bakura laughed out, grabbing the nearest man in a vice-like grip. The others were stock-still as Bakura chuckled quietly, and bit down into their neck. "BAKURA!"

Ryou was in tears.

Bakura didn't hear his name, and drank deeply from the human source. He grabbed their throat and squeezed, erasing the memory and making them faint from no oxygen. He then turned to the other nine, and licked his bloodied lips, and smirked.

Bakura gave a bone chilling laugh, and lashed out, sinking his fangs into their necks, and drank deeply, as if a bottle of the sweetest wine. And once he was done, he nearly pushed them away, and started over again.

Soon the rest of them were already victims, and Bakura laughed again, and spread his arms. Two bats, blending in with the growing darkness, landed on their foreheads and erased the memories in an instant.

And Ryou froze as Bakura looked at him.

"B-B-Bakura-" Ryou stuttered, and took an uneasy step back as Bakura approached. He backed away until he bumped into a tree trunk, and froze, trembling hard.

"May I…partake from your neck?" Bakura asked as he grabbed Ryou's wrists with harsh force.

"No! No, no, no! Let me go!" Ryou begged. But it wasn't nearly enough.

Bakura was already leaning in, and grabbed his neck between his lips, and injected his fangs into his soft neck.

Ryou's knees went weak, heart thudding against his ribcage. He was almost crying now all over again, in fear and pain and a sick realization.

Bakura made a small noise, and bit down hard, drinking greedily and deeply. One hand pinned Ryou against the tree, his other holding his wrists so he couldn't fight.

And as soon as Bakura pulled away, Ryou collapsed. Shaking violently, he clamped his eyes shut for thousands of reasons, and merely began to cry, in want, and in need.

* * *

Chapter 5: End.


	6. Chapter 6

Bakura watched Ryou silently, red orbs following his every movement. Ryou's sobs were constant, his breath harsh, violently shaking.

"…I want to go home!" Ryou wailed, and got to his feet. Not waiting for Bakura to respond the boy took off in a run.

Bakura's eyes widened. The memories were coming back now: times when Ryou was near heartbroken and his want to go back was strong, the tears and pleads… "Ryou, wait up!" Bakura yelled, and went after him, red orbs dimmed.

"Let me go!" Ryou screamed as Bakura's strong hands grabbed his wrists. "Please, just let me go…" Ryou whispered, tugging weakly in the opposite direction.

"Ryou, listen to me. Please, just listen to me right now…" Bakura pleaded, grip tightening.

Ryou swallowed and didn't say anything.

"Ryou. I'm sorry. I really am. I hate it how I hurt you so much. I always screw up and then wish I could take it back. But I can't. I'm a demon. I'm a vampire. I can't help that. But I have my own regrets, Ryou, so many I can't count them. I…I think I'm losing control…

"When I traded a part of my soul once more…I think it weakened my body. Without a full soul I'm no longer a full being. It's affecting my body and mind, Ryou, and I can't stop it… My senses are growing stronger. Normally I wouldn't be attracted to blood that easily…but…things are changing. Changing for the worst, Ryou, and I can't stop it… But…I'm sorry…I just…" Bakura trailed off and pulled Ryou a little closer, and wiped the blood off his neck with his jacket sleeve. "…I just feel so guilty and I just regret almost every action…"

Ryou spoke in a whisper. "I…I just want my memories back, Bakura. That's all I've ever wanted… I may have wanted some other things before, but I don't remember them. I just want to be normal. To be able to have things to look back on and not being so confused about myself and others…"

"I know." Bakura said quietly, and pulled Ryou into a hug, blushing, as Ryou began to cry once again.

* * *

Bakura awoke groggily the next morning. Groaning loudly, he arched his back, and shielded his eyes with his forearm from the bright light. His head and stomach still hurt from all the blood last night… 

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, sitting beside the bed.

"Hn…?" Bakura asked, and looked at him. "How long have you been up?"

"About an hour." Ryou paused before starting again. "Bakura, can you tell me…about my powers?"

Bakura blinked, and sighed lightly. "You had so much more power than almost the strongest leader, Ryou. Healing magic, and shadow magic… Over time, you learned how to Dreamread, which is the one you're earning back now. You can see into people's minds that way. Also, you had an ability that allows you to learn anything your body can handle. You were really strong, Ryou, probably strong enough to rule a country if you wanted to…"

"R-Really?" Ryou asked, blushing a little.

Bakura nodded. "People hunted us down, but…you had more power than me, I have to admit…"

Ryou's blush strengthened. "…W-Well…um… If…it's not too much trouble…are we able to go back to that other place?"

Bakura's eyes widened, his whole body stiffening with hope. "…W-Well…I can try, but…I'm not sure yet. How about tonight, and we can try it then?"

Ryou nodded hopefully, eyes shimmering with hope.

* * *

"Okay, you ready?" Bakura asked, on his hands and knees on the floor. Ryou was at his side, and nodded. There was a circle drawn on the floor in red chalk… 

Bakura slit into his fingertips, not even wincing because of his excitement, and smeared the blood into the center. Ryou hesitantly followed suit, and winced in pain before rubbing his blood beside Bakura's.

Ryou gasped as light appeared.

_/I want…for us to return./ _Bakura said.

_//You do not have enough soul in your body to allow that, Bakura. If I take it all, you will die.//_

_/…No. I will not die. I have Ryou now. He'll help me. I know he will./_

_//It's your loss, Bakura. If he does not figure out how to get the soul back…you belong to me.//_

Bakura grabbed Ryou's wrist with a crushing force as the light grew. But the light changed to pure black, making Ryou's eyes widen. "B-Bakura? Bakura!"

The light engulfed them both, and Ryou screamed. Bakura didn't make any noise at all, that same white glow coming from his chest…

"BAKURA!" Ryou screamed as the world faded about him, just in time to see a white object get pried from Bakura's body, and heard a lone whisper of 'I'm sorry'.

* * *

He had such a horrible headache… Groaning, Ryou opened his eyes. He was sprawled on his back, limbs spread apart. Propping himself up on his elbows, he put a hand to his throbbing forehead. His eyes snapped open wide as he saw where he was. 

It was an area that was almost pitch black, with barely any light at all. For some reason he had a feeling he couldn't shake off that he had seen something like this before… But he ignored that feeling, and called out, "Bakura?"

No answer.

Icy fear gripped his heart. He got up slowly, and ran off into the darkness, his dread swelling with each footstep.

-

He shivered in the darkness. He felt so cold… There was a rattling of chains as he shifted his position.

"_Bakura."_ A cold voice boomed.

Bakura slowly opened his eyes, which were engulfed in darkness. He lifted his head slowly, dirtied white hair falling over his face and down his bare back.

"_It's almost time for you to go. You have five minutes."_

Bakura merely lowered his head. He wanted to scream, he wanted to cry. But he couldn't. He shifted slightly, his thick, iron chains rattling, bound tightly to his wrists and bare ankles. His wings were pinned back painfully, and chained together to prevent all means of escape.

_Ryou… _Bakura thought, but his thoughts weren't his own here. Everyone heard them. But Bakura didn't care. He wanted the boy to come, so badly…

-

"Bakura!" Ryou called, racing through the darkness. He couldn't be even more surprised when transparent forms came into his vision. He froze.

All heads turned to him. Whispers started in dusty voices. "Who is he?" "He's not a spirit…" "Coming to set us free?" "Accidental…?"

Ryou heard a slur of multiple accents. Not all of these people had wings, only some. All of these people were bound in chains, and he noticed a tattoo getting imprinted on their back; a circle with an x in the middle. Everyone had a different color, apparently from who they were.

The keepers paid Ryou no attention, so the boy hurried off, desperate to find Bakura. Finally he knew he was lost, and stopped to ask someone- a spirit, apparently- where he was.

"The soul market." He whispered, brilliant gold wings tainted and pinned backwards, and drooping from the weight of his chains.

"Have you seen a white-haired come through here?"

He nodded. "Everyone knows him. He gives up little pieces of his soul to use certain magic, but know he's ran out. He's in line like the rest of us to go elsewhere. He went that way." The boy pointed north.

Ryou thanked him and hurried off, pleading mentally not to be too late.

-

"_Come on, Bakura. We don't have any time to lose."_

Bakura didn't protest and came forward. He didn't fight as two strong hands grabbed what little clothes he had and ripped his shirt remainders up, revealing his back, leaving his figure bare. It would've felt uneasy if he was the only one, but everyone else's figures were exactly the same.

Bakura squeezed his eyes shut as the metal came only about an inch from his back, before a voice echoed into the area. "Bakura-san!"

His eyes flew open, and gasped. Ryou was running towards him, and came to a screeching halt beside him. "Oh, Bakura, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Ryou said, and smiled wide.

Bakura opened his mouth and closed it repeatedly, unable to speak.

"No!" Ryou cried, and grabbed Bakura's arm, and began to pull as the burning metal came about an inch from Bakura's back. "No, leave him alone! He can't go away!"

The scene was attracting more than a few stares. Bakura's eyes widened to an impossible size as the hands grabbed his wings, and pulled the other direction. "Get out of here! You don't belong here!"

"Give Bakura back!" Ryou screamed, pulling with all his might.

Bakura wanted to scream. The pain hurt like never before, with Ryou pulling on his arms and the keeper- who had much more strength than a sixteen-year-old boy- yanking his wings…

Ryou's eyes filled with tears as Bakura gave a mute cry, although it was unheard, Ryou could feel the man's pain. He let go.

Bakura was sent flying backwards and into the robed keeper, who suddenly released Bakura as he fell on top of him. Ryou rushed over to them, and scooped up the thief into his arms, and dropped to his knees, and sobbed.

The keeper growled, and sat up.

Ryou was crying loudly over the near unconscious man in his arms, his naked form decorated with bruises, and the chains were thick, making the man's bound areas turn near white.

The others wouldn't move, too busy watching the two albinos.

"Move along!" One keeper shouted, angry at the incident.

They all looked at the keeper with anger in their once empty eyes. Then the boy with the gold wings who Ryou had spoken to yelled, "What's one of us to go free? He has someone who cares about him greater than family, and vice versa."

There was a roar of agreement.

Ryou was crying harder as these people stood up for him, and hugged Bakura's limp body closer. "I…I almost lost you…" He whispered, and pulled off his shirt, draping it over Bakura's naked body. "You…did this just to get us back home…but you never had to do such a thing, Bakura… We could've stayed there, and regained things slowly, without this incident…"

"Go!" They all yelled, and Ryou's lips twitched into a wide smile. Shakily he stood up, Bakura in his arms, and hurried off, giving them a loud cry of thanks.

Ryou ran through the market, Bakura's mouth twitching. Weakly, the man opened his eyes, and looked up at Ryou.

"You're safe now…" Ryou said, giving the man a teary smile.

And Bakura weakly smiled up at him, and nodded. _You care…just like you used to…_

Although it was thoughts, Ryou heard them, since the words blared around him. Thoughts were no longer personal here. But Ryou nodded, and hugged Bakura a little. "I wouldn't just leave you… Even if I don't remember, I…I just wouldn't be able to live with myself if you gave yourself up like that just for me…"

_Thank you…so much…_ Bakura whispered in his thoughts.

"We need to get these chains off, though…" Ryou said, referring to the ones bound about Bakura.

But Bakura didn't answer, already in an exhausted slumber.

* * *

Chapter 6: End.

A/N: Okay, this may have been a little confusing, so if you guys are having any difficulties, just ask some questions, and I'll do my best to answer them...


	7. Chapter 7

"…I…think we're here." Ryou said, and stopped.

Bakura, who had woken up not even half an hour ago, blinked drowsily, and looked about. He was on Ryou's back now, still too tired to be walking. "…I think you're right."

Before Ryou entered the strange looking image, he spoke. "…Does…this mean you're complete now?"

Bakura nodded. "All of my soul was there. So you freed all of it, Ryou. I'm whole again."

Ryou smiled a little. "Do you feel any different?"

"…Yeah. I don't feel empty anymore. And there are just little things that are different… It's a little difficult to explain."

Ryou nodded, and took a deep breath. He felt Bakura's grip on him tighten as he jumped into the flowing image, or more of a vortex.

Ryou gasped as his body began to near dissolve. It was as if the pieces were breaking off and fading away. He looked at Bakura, seeing the same thing happening to him. Bakura merely gave him a light smile, showing he didn't need to be afraid.

Ryou's eyes widened. Something suddenly flashed in his mind's eye; a group of a thousand pictures, but before he could look at them, they were gone. He began to cough, a painful force in his chest as his body kept fading.

Bakura was silent, but clung tightly to Ryou, not wanting to get separated again. No, never again…

And then there was a flash of light as the rest of their figure disappeared.

* * *

Ryou landed on the bed on his stomach, and groaned. He retched as Bakura appeared in the air and fell on top of his back, making him cough hard from the sudden weight and force. 

"O-Oh…" Bakura murmured, and quickly got off of him, still in possession of Ryou's shirt, covering up part of his bare figure.

There was a thunder of footsteps. Both albinos looked up as the door slammed open.

"…They're back…" Ryou blinked at the two blondes in confusion. "Bakura, how did you do it?!"

Bakura sighed, and shifted his position uneasily. "…I found Ryou there… He remembers very little. But he saved me. I gave up the rest of my spirit to send us back, but I didn't have any left. Ryou came after me and set me loose. So I'm whole again, and here we are." Bakura looked at Ryou, and spoke in an undertone so neither of the blondes would hear. "Ryou, this is Malik and Marik."

Malik smiled. "Well, we were worried when you left." He looked at Ryou. "Sorry about what happened, though, Ryou. You'll get them back soon, probably." He ran to the door. "I'll go get some ice cream."

Marik blinked. "You screwed up big time, Bakura. You're lucky you didn't kill him to start with." He grinned.

Ryou blinked, and tilted his head to one side slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"Bakura almost-"

"Shut up!" Bakura cried, almost desperate. He didn't want Ryou to find out yet. If that happened, it would take even longer for Ryou to trust him. And he didn't want that. "Look, just go help Malik or something."

Marik chuckled coldly. "You're going to have to tell him eventually, you know." He muttered before he left.

Bakura pulled out a pair of boxers from the dresser and pulled them on, grumbling, and tossed Ryou's shirt into the laundry hamper. In the midst of pulling on his jeans, he asked Ryou, "Do you want to go out for a fly soon?"

Ryou nodded instantly. For some reason, he didn't know why, flying with Bakura put him at ease. It felt so familiar to him, and so soothing…

Tugging on a shirt, Bakura tossed one to Ryou, and headed towards the door. "Well, come on. We need to hurry."

Pulling on the shirt, Ryou hurried after Bakura. He couldn't help but smile as Bakura leapt onto the handrail and slid down it on his feet, not even bothering to sit down. As he got to the bottom, he grinned up at Ryou, eyes urging him to try.

Ryou swallowed, and jumped. He gasped as the room rushed past him, and for some reason he could actually keep his balance. And before he knew it, he was at the bottom.

Bakura's smile widened as Ryou reached the bottom, but the teen didn't jump, so he tripped, and pitched forward.

Ryou squeaked as he flew forward, sure he was going to hit the floor. But it was the opposite.

With a rush, he collapsed into Bakura's outstretched arms, the man catching him instantly. It felt like a barrier or security, Bakura's touch gentle. "You okay?"

Ryou nodded slowly, loosening his grip from Bakura's shirt sleeves.

"Good. Now, come on." Bakura said, and released the boy, running into the kitchen.

Marik snickered as Bakura snatched up a bowl of ice cream on the counter and near devoured it. The other demon ate his slower, like everyone else. "You're going to get brain freeze if you don't knock it off."

Bakura merely stuck out his tongue at him.

Ryou laughed softly, eating a much smaller bowl than the others. He wasn't really hungry right now, for some reason…

His eyes widened. Pictures were forming in his mind, ones that he didn't understand. He gasped as a sudden, extreme headache started, and ran from the kitchen and into the bathroom.

Bakura hurried after him, noticing Ryou hanging over the toilet, his skin paling a bit. Bakura went over beside him as Ryou began to cough, and felt his heart near swell painfully as blood was thrown up from Ryou's mouth.

He just didn't understand. What were these pictures? His head swam with those images, along with the worst headache… He felt something swell in his stomach and chest, and hacked more blood up. Tears were in his eyes as he coughed up more crimson, and felt lightheaded.

Bakura placed his hands on the boy's shoulders gently, feeling Ryou trembling violently. He was confused, and a little worried at how the teen was throwing up blood and seemed to be spacing out. "Ryou?"

More and more blood. Ryou felt sick now, his headache- or more of a severe migraine- getting worse. More images flashed into his brain before vanishing. And as soon as his coughing stopped, even for a second, he screamed in pain and confusion.

"Ryou, please!" Bakura cried, growing nervous now. Ryou didn't answer. But he had nothing left. He toppled backwards in a faint and into Bakura's arms.

"Show me, Ryou." Bakura murmured, and placed his hands on Ryou's shoulders. Bakura's eyes were narrowed in concentration, and prying into the boy's mind.

Pictures. There were millions of them, each a memory. But before they could be properly glimpsed, they vanished.

Bakura slowly released Ryou's shoulders and shut off the connection. _Apparently this is getting to be too much for the kid…_

"…Maybe when your memories come back…your wings will too." Bakura said, and stood, bringing Ryou with him.

* * *

It had been a full day since the incident. Ryou and Bakura were outside, standing on the front steps. 

Ryou chewed on his bottom lip for a minute, pouring over his hand silently. His brain was trying to register a plan.

Bakura had discovered the old, dusty box of cards in his closet. It was a huge mixture of monsters and spells and traps, which, he said was called Duel Monsters, and had spent the hours when Ryou was too weak to get out of bed to teach him the game.

"I remove Vampire Lord from the game in order to special summon Vampire Genesis!" Bakura yelled with a smirk. "Turn end."

Ryou blinked up at the monster that had taken form on Bakura's side. Bakura would use his magic while they played to make the monsters in the cards have physical bodies, and worked at will. Ryou bit his lip, hard. _Three thousand attack points…crap… He can't attack until next turn, but even then, I'm a goner…_

He glanced down at his hand, and scowled. "…Um…I play monster Reborn…and bring back Darkbishop Archfiend in attack mode! Turn end."

Bakura smirked. _Just three hundred attack points…this is going to be easy… _"Attack his monster!"

"I activate a trap!" Ryou said quickly, not giving a chance. "Raigeki Break… If I discard a card from my hand to the graveyard," Ryou did so, "I get to destroy one card on the field…and I choose your Vampire!"

Bakura ground his teeth together momentarily. So close… "Turn end…"

Ryou felt a gush of relief. "…Okay. I play a spell card: Book of Life. I special summon Ryu Kokki from my graveyard, and remove your Vampire from your graveyard and out of play. I play one card face down and end my turn."

"I play a spell… Call of the Mummy, and special summon Despair of the Dark from my hand." Bakura said, and played a card facedown before ending his turn.

Ryou bit his lip. "I play a card facedown and end my turn…"

"Fine. Attack his monster!"

"I activate my spell! Change of Heart!" Ryou smiled a little at the shock on Bakura's face. "And I chose your monster, and put it into attack!"

Bakura gritted his teeth as the claws of his monster sliced deep into his body. He hated direct attacks more than anything. They always hurt most…

Ryou collected his cards and put them in his pocket, running over to Bakura, who had sank to his knees, trembling. "You okay?"

Bakura nodded slowly. He was still shocked that Ryou had beaten him, when he had more experience than him. But maybe Ryou just had more skill… He gave Ryou a shaky smile and stood up, collecting his cards into a stack and put them into his back pocket. "Come on, kid. I promised you a fly yesterday and you never got one."

Ryou smiled, and clambered onto Bakura's back. Bakura took off in a sprint, leathery black wings sprouting from his backside and spreading to full length, before he jumped off of the front steps and took off into the air.

"Bakura…I…I have a question."

"Hmm?" He asked, going higher and higher.

"…Why…does flying make us calm and give us a sense of peace?"

Bakura blinked, and shook his head. "I seriously don't know. But hopefully you'll be able to fly again soon. If your memories and powers are coming back, your wings will come along eventually."

Ryou watched Bakura climb upwards steadily. Eight feet, nine, ten… Soon he felt lightheaded from the distance, about twelve or fourteen now… "B-Bakura…"

"Just hold on. You're going to love this. It'll be scary at first, but trust me. I think you'll like it." Bakura said, and grinned.

Ryou gasped weakly. Seventeen, eighteen… And suddenly Bakura came to a halt. "What…are you doing…?" He asked, looking at him.

Bakura merely grinned. His black wings were beating steadily, and he climbed just a little more- about another two feet- so that they were about twenty feet up in the air now. "Just hold on tight."

Bakura dove downwards.

Ryou screamed, wrapping his arms around Bakura as the man took off downhill in a rapid speed, wings spread out. The wind rushed through his hair and over his face, and the ground was rapidly getting closer. His stomach dropped from the high speeds, and the distance was shrinking. Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve… Soon he was a mere five. Four, three… And he was sure he was going to collide with the ground.

But at the very last second Bakura jerked sharply to a straight level, a mere foot off the ground.

Malik and Marik were standing on the front steps. They looked at each other, and Malik smiled. "I guess they're strengthening, even though Ryou barely remembers…"

Marik merely grunted as a response, leaning against the doorway. He could remember a mere few years ago when he had wings, able to feel the same rush Bakura and Ryou felt when they flew.

And Bakura was rushing across the water now, mere inches above it, so close that Ryou's fingertips brushed the surface. His speed began to make the water stir as he rushed past.

He turned sharply upwards as he approached the forest, not wanting to get in the tangle of trees. He began to climb up into the air again, his wings spreading far apart, sending black feathers loose.

And Ryou smiled, his grip loosening. He felt at ease now, his previous uptightness fading instantly.

And he never noticed the small, near invisible bones of wings beginning to poke through his back.

* * *

Chapter 7: End. 


	8. Chapter 8

Wow, two updates in one day! I guess I'm on a roll. xD

* * *

Ryou groaned and shakily stood up. He hated this. Every night he would be stuck in the bathroom near throwing up blood. But what was strange was how images flowed into his mind more often. He still couldn't focus on them, but the pictures came more and more frequently. He noticed that he had headaches a lot nowadays, and he usually had a tight feeling in his chest or stomach. His back hurt a lot, too. Sometimes he had no energy, or not near enough to even get out of bed in the morning.

Ryou staggered into his bedroom, where Bakura was standing. "Finally. I was worried you passed out or something."

Ryou didn't really acknowledge the comment, and instantly crawled into bed. He groaned loudly, relaxing against the mattress. It felt so good to lie down…

"You okay?" Bakura asked, and sat down beside Ryou, his weight making the mattress sink a little.

"…I…I'm not really sure…" Ryou whispered, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

"Hold on a second." Bakura said, and went into the bathroom, and came back with a thermometer and a cloth. He forced the thermometer into Ryou's mouth, and put the cloth on his forehead, which made Ryou relax.

Bakura removed the meter at the beep, and frowned. "You have a fever, Ryou… Do you feel that bad?"

Ryou hesitated, and weakly nodded. He hated this. It was horrible. As if on cue, he broke into a coughing fit, luckily managing to hold back blood.

Bakura sighed, "Look, Ryou, I'm really sorry about this-"

"It's not…your fault." Ryou whispered. "It's no one's fault…"

"…Do you want me to stay in here until you fall asleep?" Bakura asked quietly.

Ryou nodded, not wanting to feel that same loneliness and besides, he wanted to have someone to talk to.

* * *

Ryou frowned as he entered his bedroom. His upper back hurt even worse than yesterday… He merely pushed it aside as a side effect from all of the situations, and dropped the towel on his bed, having just taken a shower. 

Already in his boxers, he pulled on his jeans, the knees ripped up like usual, and picked out a shirt. He frowned as he tried to put it on. Why did it feel so…tight? He hadn't gained any weight, but instead losing a few pounds this week from all the stress and everything else. He grunted and pulled it on anyway, shifting uneasily. He started towards the door.

He met Bakura on the way, and merely gave him a nervous smile.

"Hey, what's the matter with you? You look…tense." Bakura said, and frowned a little.

"…I think…my shirt shrank in the wash of something. It's just a little tight, is all."

"Turn around." Bakura said, scowling. Ryou obeyed, and Bakura gasped.

There was a notable bulge against the back of Ryou's shirt.

"What is it? What?" Ryou asked, twisting, trying to look at his back.

Bakura didn't answer, eyes huge with shock. He lifted Ryou's shirt, seeing a black and white wing starting to sprout from Ryou's back, apparently growing by the day. "Ryou… Your wings are coming back!"

"Huh?" Ryou asked, frowning. He didn't understand. He still didn't really believe the full story about him being an angel.

"Seriously, Ryou, they're growing out of your back!" Bakura cried out, and touched the objects, pulling on them lightly.

Ryou didn't say anything. He pulled away from Bakura and ran off into his room, the feeling in his chest growing, making his chest tighten painfully, and his stomach began to do the same thing. He flopped down on his bed and cried.

He didn't know why he was crying. But he just couldn't hold it in. Apparently all the stress and pain was overloading on his currently weakened body.

Bakura sighed lightly from his spot, watching Ryou. He couldn't feel more pitiful when Ryou tore towards the bathroom, hearing him spitting up more of his blood through the walls.

* * *

Ryou twisted about. Bakura said his wings weren't growing anymore right now, even though it had been a week since then. He could barely see them, and it hurt his neck to be twisting painfully about like that. To his disappointment, he was still having difficulties with his emotions and his chest and stomach, and still coughing up his blood, although it wasn't on a daily basis anymore. 

He hated this.

He went downstairs, and sat down at the kitchen table. Marik was rummaging through the fridge and he could see Malik and Bakura outside in the garden. Ryou groaned and put his head down.

"Not feeling well, are we?" Marik asked, making himself a sandwich.

"…Not really, no. I hate this. It hurts so bad…" Ryou said quietly, watching Marik quietly.

"Well, thank Bakura for that. Look, there's something he doesn't want you to know… The reason you were in that other world, is because Bakura basically killed you here."

Ryou's eyes grew to the size of saucers. He sat upright slightly, "What…?"

"From what he told me, both of you went chaotic, and got into a bloody fight. You snapped out of it first, but Bakura wouldn't wake up. He stabbed you through the heart with his sword, and woke up afterwards, when it was basically too late. He told me you were spitting up tons of blood, and he was crying, telling you not to leave. Your heart stopped. And Bakura got desperate, and traded a larger piece of himself to save you. He clung to you like a child with their blanket, but you were torn away. You vanished. What happened after that, no one knows but you, but apparently you've forgotten. Bakura went to the other world and found you there. And here you are.

"Haven't you been curious why you have no memories? Why all of these confusing things are happening to you? Why Bakura has wings, and there are a set growing out of you? And you don't even understand why? You don't know what's going on, and why you're in this condition… If you squint; it all points to Bakura."

Ryou didn't say anything. His eyes were wide with shock, and suddenly, something inside of him shattered into mere shards.

Ryou broke into tears, right when Malik and Bakura came back inside. Bakura's smile faded instantly at the sight of Ryou in tears. "Ryou? Ryou, what's wrong?"

"Leave me alone." Ryou cried out, and pushed back, his chair scraping across the floor as he hurriedly stood up and ran towards the front door.

Bakura put his basket of food on the table and rushed after Ryou, who was racing down the front steps now. "Ryou, wait up!"

"Leave me alone!" Ryou screamed, sobbing, and weakly tried to pull away.

"What's gotten into you, Ryou?" Bakura asked, trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

"Everything! Okay?! I hate you! You did this to me! It's all your fault!" Ryou screamed and broke further into tears.

"What are you talking about?!" Bakura yelled back.

"You stabbed me! You basically just killed me and then sent me off somewhere else! I hate you!"

_Marik… That little… I'm going to _kill_ him… _Bakura mentally snarled, and strained to keep Ryou under control. "Ryou, it's not like that!"

"Don't lie to me anymore!" Ryou yelled, sobbing, and smacked Bakura's hands away, and ran.

He just kept running. He went as fast as he could, not slowing down for anything. He was crying as he ran, gasping for breath. The inside of him was in pieces. He just didn't want to believe it…

The man that had helped him…the man that had shown a million sides…the man that gave him a chance and became a friend… Had he actually done that to him?

Ryou tripped over a tree root and was sent tumbling into the grass. Whimpering, he tried to get up, and managed to do so, and took off running again.

Bakura ran after him, seeing Ryou up ahead. "Ryou, please! Just listen to me!"

"Just go away…" Ryou pleaded, tears cascading down his cheeks. He turned left sharply, and didn't have time to stop as the river suddenly flowed in front of him, and he tumbled forward and into the water.

At first, he didn't move. His mind was blank, and his body was frozen. And it slowly dawned on him what just happened. He didn't fight, however, until two strong hands grabbed his shoulders.

Bakura gritted his teeth as a stream of bubbles came to the surface. He could see Ryou through the surface of the water, the boy thrashing and writhing, straining to get free of his grasp. But Bakura far overpowered him, and dragged Ryou out of the river.

Ryou was shivering, but struggled to get out of Bakura's grip. "L-Let me go, Bakura!"

"No! Just listen to me!"

"How do you expect me to?! You hurt me so bad, and now you're just waltzing around like everything is okay?! You took everything from me! My memories, my life, my body… I hate you! _I hate you!"_

Bakura's eyes widened, and looked close to tears. Ryou had said this millions of times, but never had he used this tone before… "R…Ryou…what do you want me to do? I tried my best… I did all of this just to get you back…"

"I want my memories, Bakura!" Ryou wailed, and brought his legs up to his chest, sobbing into his knees. "I just want them back!"

Bakura's expression softened as Ryou's miserable, heart-wrenching sobs. The demon felt terribly guilty now, and even the furthest corners of his mind were filled with thoughts, wondering if it really was all his fault. "Ryou…"

"Just leave me alone." Ryou whispered. He was crying harder now, near completely shattered. His tiny wings were drooping in misery.

Bakura sighed, and walked away, pretending to leave, but climbed up a tree instead, watching Ryou silently, secretly.

Ryou wretched suddenly, and began spitting up blood. His wings twitched, but made no other movement. His pulse was rapid, his breathing sharp and heavy. He desperately tried to suck in air, struggling from crying so hard.

"…Why…did this have to happen?" Ryou asked himself, and rubbed the tears from his face with his sleeve. Shakily he stood up, whimpering in pain. He couldn't be more shocked when a sharp pain ran up his leg.

"Got him!" A voice called.

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou sank to the ground, an arrow buried into his lower leg. Ryou, crying weakly, tugged on the arrow, trying to get it out. He screamed as another arrow thudded into his back, right between his little wings.

His head was spinning. More blood rose into his throat, which he hacked up instantly. His eyes rolled back slightly, and he fell sideways, onto his right side, almost in a faint.

Two men came out from the underbrush, and frowned. "Where's the other one? They're normally together…"

"Apparently they were fighting." The second one muttered, and went up to the almost unconscious Ryou. "He's changed, eh?"

The first nodded.

Ryou was breathing hard, blood around his feet from his wounded leg and what he had coughed up, and his back bleeding, his little wings twitching and drooping.

"Oh, no you don't." Bakura growled in an undertone. "Even if Ryou doesn't want me around, he's not getting captured again."

With a flying leap Bakura came from the trees and landed on the second man's back, sending him flat to the ground and punched him hard in the face, and grabbed the second one by his shirt collar.

Ryou watched silently, weakly, as Bakura beat them up until blood gushed, and came over to him. Ryou didn't say anything.

"…I wouldn't let them take you." Bakura said, and smiled.

And without another word or slightest thought, Ryou fainted, a little pool of blood around his feet and blood going down his back between his wings.

Bakura ripped out the arrows, and picked Ryou up, heading back towards what he called home.

* * *

Chapter 8: End. 


	9. Chapter 9

Bakura growled as he entered the home through the front door, making sure to slam it. He raged upstairs, an unconscious Ryou in his arms. He stomped into Ryou's room and put the boy down on the bed. He rolled up the legs of Ryou's jeans and pulled up his shirt, revealing the bloody spots from the arrows. Taking the wet cloth he had gotten, he wiped the blood away from Ryou's wounds. After that he began to bandage his leg, wrapping the bandages about his lower leg tightly. Then he started on his back. He began at the shoulder, and pulled it across, between his little wings and over the wound, and to his waist, and all around again. When the bandages were thick enough he cut it and tied the end. He pulled the covers over Ryou's frail frame before heading downstairs.

He stormed downstairs and into the living room to find Malik and Marik sitting on the couch. He approached them, and with a snarl, grabbed Marik's shirt collar, hoisting him off his feet and above the floor. "How _dare_ you!"

"What are you screaming about?!" Marik raged back, trying to remove Bakura's hands.

"Ryou! I _told_ you not to tell him! You have no _idea_ how long it's going to take me to make this better! He hates me now because of you!" Bakura bellowed, and slammed Marik into the wall.

"Get over it!" Marik screamed back, and kneed Bakura roughly in the stomach, and kicked him.

Malik stood up then. "Guys, don't-"

"_You_ shut up!" Bakura yelled at Malik, eyes near crimson. He snarled as Marik kicked him again, and tore him from the wall, shoving him into the coffee table.

Malik gasped as Marik was shoved on top of the table with Bakura growling, clutching his shirt so tight his knuckles turned white, the movement sending the materials on the table crashing to the floor.

"I'll _kill_ you!" Bakura screamed at the top of his lungs. He wanted things to be normal. In anger and frustration, he punched Marik in the face.

The two were instantly in a fight, punching and kicking and clawing.

They fell from the coffee table with snarls of rage, creating bruises and cuts and claw marks, blood dripping to the floor.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Ryou was stirring. He groaned, which turned into a near scream of pain. A jolt ran up his leg and back as he rolled over, and he whimpered. He managed to roll over further, putting his feet to the floor, which made a burn of pain run up his injured leg. Whimpering, he stood up all the way, hunched over slightly in sheer pain.

He could hear a commotion going on downstairs, crashes and screams and threats. It confused him.

He staggered towards the door, and had to use support from the wall, since he was so horribly weak and in so much pain. He managed to make it into the hall, but the hardest part was when he got to the stairs.

He got halfway to the steps before he had to sit down, breathing hard. He noticed Bakura and Marik then, the two fighting, and Malik, who was on the sidelines, appearing unsure of what to do. "…B…Bakura…?"

"Ryou?" Bakura asked, his head snapping up and in the direction of the stairs. He was holding onto Marik's arm, which was twisted beyond painfully behind his back, his knees pinned against his back. Marik was holding onto Bakura's wings, which were pulled so far out of range it was a shock they were still attached to Bakura's back. Blood dripped down a deep gouge on Bakura's face, across the scar on his cheek, and Marik's nose was bleeding quite a bit. Bakura's left hand was constantly shaking, and Marik's leg was doing the same thing.

"…What's…going on?" Ryou asked. The entire room seemed turned upside down. The coffee table was knocked over, along with the armchair. The wall had a dent in it, along with spots of blood upon the carpet. The lamp was on the floor, almost shattered, and stray feathers from Bakura's wings lay across the ground.

"Nothing." Bakura said instantly.

"It…sure doesn't look like nothing…" Ryou said. "…Please…don't…lie to me anymore…"

Malik spoke up then. "Bakura got upset about how Marik told you what happened, and then a fight broke out not too long afterwards…"

Bakura looked at the floor in silence, not making eye contact with anyone.

"Bakura…why did you-" Ryou started, but stopped, because in mere seconds Bakura was off of Marik and was running towards the main floor bathroom. "Bakura?"

Ryou weakly stood up and made his way down the rest of the stairs. It was hard, but he merely took it one step at a time. It took a lot of strength and time, but he made it to the bathroom where Bakura had gone, and found the door locked.

Malik was helping Marik with his wounds.

"Bakura…?" Ryou asked, knocking gently on the door with his knuckles.

He heard Bakura hiccup. "G-Go away…"

"Bakura, please…" Ryou said softly. "I just…want to talk to you."

"Just go away…" Bakura whispered.

Ryou sighed, and found a pin lying nearby, jamming it into the lock and rummaged around until he picked the lock. He opened the door silently.

Bakura sat on the floor, wings drooping. He was shaking all over, his breath quick and hard. He kept his back to the door.

"…B…Bakura?" Ryou asked gently, and stiffened when Bakura jumped, but did not look at him.

Bakura didn't turn around. He didn't want Ryou to see him like this… But much to his disappointment, Ryou came over to him.

Ryou stared at Bakura silently. The man wept, tears cascading down his pale, blood spotted face. He didn't look at Ryou, not at all. With a small sigh, Ryou crouched down beside him. "…What's wrong?"

Bakura finally spoke. "…E-Everything. I wanted to get you back. I managed to do that much. But I was stupid enough to hurt you like that the first time. I ruined everything. Now I'm right back at square one, and we're back at our fighting block. I just wanted you to come back so we could continue, Ryou, and so maybe you could get that wish you wanted for so long ago… But that's not it. You hate me, and I just screwed up everything…"

Ryou felt guilty as he watched Bakura cry harder. He understood what the man meant. He worked to get him back, and what he wished for to happen was literally falling apart in front of his very eyes…

Without another word Bakura stood up, ignoring the blood dripping from his face and his still trembling hand. He didn't look at Ryou, and wasn't crying any longer. He left the room silently, and headed for the front door. Opening it, he went outside, and left.

* * *

Ryou sat silently in the windowsill. Marik and Malik were asleep upstairs in one of the spare rooms. It was almost three in the morning and Bakura still wasn't home. 

Ryou sighed and unconsciously trailed down the windowpane with his fingertips. His little wings twitched slightly as he shifted the position of his legs, which were almost asleep. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep…

Suddenly the door burst open.

Ryou yelped silently, and turned to the door.

Bakura staggered inside. His hair was messy and his eyes were near bloodshot, his walk awkward. He headed instantly to the couch and sat down.

"Bakura? Where were you?"

"Why do you care?" Bakura snapped, his tone harsh.

"…I…I was just worried… Y-You were gone f-for a long time…"

"And?" Bakura asked in an angry voice, glaring at Ryou hard. "What about earlier? Huh?! You said you hated me!" He screamed.

"Bakura, I-"

Bakura growled, bloodshot eyes near glowing. "I _left_ to get some alone time. I _left_ do deal with my own feelings by myself, because apparently you don't care at _all_ about me!" Bakura screamed, so loud it was a surprise he didn't wake up the two blondes upstairs. "And maybe I should've stayed longer! Or maybe I should've taken Marik with me!"

Ryou was close to tears now. He felt so guilty, and his chest was tightening at a rapid pace…

"And maybe I should just move away from here! You don't care about what happens to me, Ryou! You hate me! You said it yourself! You don't want me around! You said just to leave you alone! And then when I try to help you get mad, so why should I let you help me?! Huh?!" Bakura was screaming at the top of his lungs now, and was shaking all over. "_Well?!"_

Ryou swallowed hard. "I-I…"

In one swift movement Bakura had a glass that was sitting on the coffee table, filled previously with water, and hurled it at Ryou. The boy yelped, and managed to duck. The glass slammed into the wall and shattered, sending glass shards to the ground and droplets of water on the walls.

With a snarl Bakura was on his feet and was raging up the stairs. He didn't say anything to Ryou, merely leaving him there.

Ryou, downstairs, collected the glass pieces in his hand. He gave a shaky sigh, and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, struggling to hold in tears. _What happened…? Is this…all my fault? His fault? What happened to us…? We never fought like this before…_

His little wings twitched again before drooping. A few tears ran down his face before dripping to the carpet. He stood up and staggered to the front door.

He went onto the front porch, and stood there, staring out into the darkness, which was slightly pierced by the moonlight. More tears ran down his pale cheeks.

He let out a small sound. His wings were big enough now so that his shirt had holes in the back for them. He lifted his eyes to the sky and sighed again. He longed to be able to fly, just like Bakura. To be able to get that sense of peace…

He frowned, and tried to spread his wings. He yelped as they rose above his head, and beat slightly, making him rise about a foot or so off the porch.

Something rushed through Ryou's body then. From his feet to the top of his head, a feeling of excitement swelled inside of him, and a huge grin spread across his face.

Without his control, his wings beat again, but lightly, not being near big enough. He was about a foot and a half off the ground, and he couldn't go any higher. But even with that, it excited him. Soon, maybe soon, he would be able to fly high enough to get an overpowering rush of joy.

But his wings stopped fluttering, and he was standing back up on the porch again. He sighed and sat down on the steps, trying to figure out how to control his tiny wings. The only thing he could manage was to ruffle them.

He rested his head against the column behind him, and stared up at the sky. Millions of little stars blinked down at him, and he felt more tears trickle down his face.

And meanwhile, upstairs, Bakura was standing in his room. He crossed over to the window, and looked down. He noticed Ryou on the front steps, staring up at the sky.

Bakura looked up then, and scowled. It was almost a full moon…

Angrily he turned away, and stomped over to his bed, his drunken rage getting the better of him.

Now Ryou was on his feet. He walked down the steps and into the darkened yard, and jumped upwards, grabbing a tree branch. He climbed the tree, and since it was close enough to the house, he managed to jump. He leapt across, and grabbed hold of the gutter. He grunted, and kicking slightly, pulled himself up. He walked across and sat down at the highest point of the roof. His legs dangled over the edge, the area beneath him looking small. And when he lifted his head the stars and moon looked even closer…

More tears formed in his eyes. And he let them fall. The hot, crystal droplets ran down his face and dripped onto his jeans. He brought his knees to his chest and cried in the moonlit darkness.

* * *

Chapter 9: End. 


	10. Chapter 10

Ryou hid silently about the corner. Bakura was putting on his jacket, apparently getting ready to leave again for the night. And Ryou finally decided that he was going to follow him.

Bakura left the house quietly, and Ryou followed him silently. It was dark outside, the streetlamps flickering across the other side of the lake. Bakura was walking down the paved section of the grass that led to town that was a quarter mile from the home. Ryou ran after him, hiding behind trees and whatever else he could find.

Soon the outskirts of town appeared, the cobblestone walkways leading to the shops, and the streetlights and signs erasing most of the view of the stars in the sky.

Bakura kept walking, and stayed to the right side of the sidewalk. Ryou hurried after him, sticking close to the buildings and never took his eyes off the man.

Ryou frowned as Bakura walked into a building, but Ryou hurried after him despite it.

Ryou's eyes widened a little as he went inside. The light changed drastically, and he realized quickly Bakura had dragged himself to a bar. He looked about, seeing Bakura sitting not too far away.

"So. You still haven't told me why you keep coming so often, Thief. You barely came it all before last week."

Bakura's narrowed eyes rose from his drink to the bartender. He merely snorted and downed what remained in his glass.

"Fine, whatever." The man merely shrugged, refilling Bakura's glass. He watched Bakura for a minute before he spoke. "But I know that drinking yourself stupid won't solve anything."

Bakura merely ignored him.

And as minutes turned to hours, Ryou remained in the shadows. He watched Bakura almost the whole time, before Bakura's anger began to show through as the alcohol took effect. And that's when Ryou stood up and approached the man.

Bakura's brow furrowed as he felt weight settle on his arm, and turned. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, but his eyes narrowed instead.

"What are you doing here?" Ryou asked, even though he knew it was a pointless question. They both knew what was going on.

"What does it look like?" Bakura snarled, and yanked his arm free. "Now go away."

"No! I want to know what's going with you! You've been acting all weird lately, and I want to know why! Why can't you just tell me what's wrong instead of going out each night and getting drunk?!"

Bakura was on his feet in one swift movement, before his fists were curled about Ryou's shirt collar. "_You_ just take yourself right on home and do whatever you want! Why should you care about what happens to me?!"

"Because I do! You're just not giving-" Ryou stopped as Bakura's hand collided with his cheek, slapping him beyond hard.

"Shut up! Just shut up! Get out of here and go away!" Bakura screamed, and pushed Ryou away, so hard it sent the boy toppling backwards and running into a table before sinking to the floor.

The scene was attracting almost everyone's attention.

Ryou was shaking. Tears were swimming in eyes. He rose to his feet, and the worst pain shot up his back. "What's your _problem?!_ I only want to help you!"

"I don't _need_ your help! I don't need _anyone's_ help!" Bakura screamed, his shoulders drawn and his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. "So just go away! Go whine to Malik and Marik and just leave me alone! I'd rather be here than with you!"

Ryou's heart clenched. Blood suddenly rose into his throat. His heart skipped multiple beats as tears poured down his face. He broke into a beyond hard coughing fit, getting blood all over the floor. His shoulders shook as he sobbed. His stomach and heart clenched multiple times.

And the boy got to his feet, and ran.

Bakura was panting from yelling. He glared at everyone else, who were whispering and watching the scene. Without another word he sat back down on his barstool, and downed another drink.

Ryou was tearing through the streets. Pain was alight in his back, so bad he thought he was going to fall down and not be able to get back up. Tears poured down his cheeks. His emotions were in a bitter and beyond painful tangle. He was falling apart.

And he couldn't take it anymore.

He dropped to his knees and screamed. He just kept screaming, at the top of his lungs. He buried his fingers into his jeans and screamed and screamed, tears rocketing down his face. His tiny wings twitched before beginning to near shake.

Ryou shakily rose to his feet, hunched over, knees bent. He screamed again, so loud his throat throbbed. The flame of pain in his back had spread into a wildfire, so bad he couldn't withstand it any longer. He coughed up another puddle of blood, and wrapped his arms about himself before giving another scream.

He staggered, his wings suddenly spreading out slightly, and Ryou screamed again. Two beautiful wings suddenly sprouted majestically from his back, and spread as far as they could go, the full-size objects beating forcefully and getting a mixture of black and white feathers all over the street.

_M…My…w…wings… _Ryou thought weakly. He had a mere thread of consciousness left… He had no control over his wings. The objects beat by themselves, carrying Ryou's body above the ground. _I…I can…fly…_

And Ryou didn't fight. He merely let his wings move, taking him higher and higher above the ground, until he was above the roofs of the shops.

Bakura frowned as a commotion began to take place inside the bar. Everyone was running to the windows. Bakura snorted as he got up and followed them. He made his way to a free space, and pressed his hands to the glass. He gasped at the sight, and his heart nearly froze.

Ryou was drifting to the roof of a shop, and landed upon it. Most of the people had left, mostly attracted by the boy's shadow that had fallen through the windows of the bar. But Bakura stayed where he was, watching Ryou with enormous eyes. _His wings…!_

Ryou's wings continued to beat, lightly and soft. Then they stopped, and spread so far they made a near complete circle. A few minutes passed before Ryou stood up, and his beautiful wings began to beat again. He drifted up again, grazing the sky, as if he could touch the moon.

And as Ryou's wings went completely still, Bakura pushed open the double doors and ran outside.

Ryou blinked drowsily. He couldn't stay awake…

Another mouthful of blood rose into his throat, which Ryou managed to hold back. His wings beat once more, before they stopped. Ryou gasped weakly as he fell, but there was nothing he could do. He fell like a rock to the ground, which luckily, was grass, since he had flown to the far side of the shops. He coughed up blood on contact, and his wings drooped instantly, wilting, and covered his body like a blanket.

He fainted, his wings folding just a little, still wrapped about his small frame. Rays of moonlight fell over his thin little body, making his hair and wings light up with a mix of brilliance, his pale skin dotted with his blood.

And now Bakura was running down the street. He didn't know why. But he just had a bad feeling deep inside his stomach.

By the time he made it to where Ryou was, he was too late. It was an alley, darkened, but the few rays of moonlight lit up Ryou's body. There were three men, one tying Ryou's ankles and wrists together with chains. Ryou's wings were so limp they almost brushed the ground.

"Ryou!" Bakura screamed, and ran towards the group.

Bakura retched as a fist collided with his stomach, making him double over. Two strong hands grabbed his wings and threw him onto his back, and Bakura only had enough time to blink before something metal collided with his jaw.

His vision plummeted instantly into darkness.

And the three figures slipped into the darkness with Ryou in their possession.

* * *

Ryou whimpered as he was shoved roughly to the ground. He was blindfolded, and there was a cloth tied about his mouth to muffle his sounds. He had woken up about half an hour ago. His panics were confirmed at the gruff voices that answered him. But he learned nothing else of where he was being taken or why, or what exactly was going on.

"Where's the Thief?" A voice asked suddenly.

Ryou made a panicked noise, signaling he had no clue, or at least he hoped his captors understood.

"I don't think he knows." The second one said.

"That can't be. They're always together, no matter what." The third one growled. "I think he's hiding something."

Ryou gasped as two hands grabbed the bind about his mouth and ripped it down. Ryou took deep breaths of fresh air instantly. "Listen kid. If you scream, I swear, I'll make you regret it."

Ryou nodded quickly.

"Now. Where is Bakura?"

"I…I don't know." Ryou admitted. "The last time I saw him…he was at this bar. H…He was getting drunk before I left…"

"So you two were there together?"

"N-Not exactly… I…I kind of followed him there…" Ryou whispered. A weird feeling was tingling inside of him…

The second one spoke this time. "You two went missing for a near month, and it was as if you disappeared of the face of this world. Where did you guys go?"

Ryou frowned. "…I…I don't understand…" His small voice turned into a scream of pain as a clawed hand sank into his chest, clawed fingers digging into his skin.

"Don't lie to us." The voice snarled, and the claws dug deeper and deeper into Ryou's chest, drawing large rubies of blood.

"I'm n-not." Ryou said between clenched teeth. The claws felt as if they were sinking in, towards his heart… "R-Really! This thing happened at the house and when I woke up I was in a whole other place-"

"What happened?" The voice prodded.

Ryou bit his tongue. _Oh no… _He didn't answer.

"Tell us!" The voice screamed, claws sinking deeper and deeper into Ryou's flesh.

Ryou was almost in tears from pain, the chest torture adding to the severe pain in his back from his newly acquired wings. "I-I…I…"

"Listen, kid. We can cut you open in an instant. So I suggest you spit it out before things get rough." The voice threatened.

Ryou whimpered softly as sharp claws lingered on his pale cheek, pricking the skin. "N-No… I…I don't… I don't…want to!"

Ryou screamed as a claw slit into his cheek, slicing it open so that blood near poured down Ryou's once perfect skin. Ryou tried to cover the wound with his hand, to find his chains disabled that movement.

The first man swore as Ryou was pushed onto his back, kicking him harshly, and grabbed a section of Ryou's chest in between sharp claws, drawing blood.

"S-Stop…" Ryou breathed, straining to hold in tears of pain. "P-Please…"

"Just leave him. He'll realize it eventually."

And Ryou listened in silence as footsteps faded, leaving him completely alone. And the tears fell, Ryou's insides twisting painfully as a vine of emotions spread.

And for a second or two, he wished Bakura would find him. But he quickly dismissed those thoughts because he knew that the peace would only be there for so long before it would be broken, and the arguments and pain would reset instantly…

* * *

Chapter 10: End.


	11. Chapter 11

So I think this Part is going to end at 20 chapters. Then Part V will come, and the series will be over. After that I can continue working on other fics, and hopefully finish them soon after that.

* * *

Bakura moaned. The sunlight sliced across his eyes like knives, at the very least, burning at his face. With a grunt he raised a forearm to shield his eyes, and managed to roll over. He blinked heavily, and lifted a hand to his face, trying to remember what happened last night, but froze when he felt something, and he shakily removed his hand.

Blood coated his fingertips.

And his memories came back in a massive, uncontrollable flow. The argument, shoving Ryou, him running, his wings, the incident… But what had hit him in the face?

Bakura shakily climbed to his feet. He staggered out and onto the sidewalk, panting. The sunlight gave him a headache, and his entire body hurt. Near limping towards a shop he stopped to stare at his reflection in the glass. His jaw was slit open deeply, still oozing blood. It was a terrible gash. And it felt as if there was something lodged in his shoulder…

Bakura beat his wings, and took a shaky takeoff. He whimpered, feeling tons of pain as he flew. But he didn't slow down. He had already lost precious time.

* * *

Ryou sat there in silence. He had no clue where he was, or where he was being taken, or to who… He stiffened as he heard footsteps.

"Well, now. Seems you're awake." The voice near hummed, a clawed hand seizing Ryou's wrist and dragged him to his feet. "It seems the ones who handed you over were stupid enough to knock Bakura out that night, not realizing it was him. Idiots, all of them, I swear. However, I think you'll enjoy some company, because the Thief will soon join you, little one."

Ryou's heart rose into his throat at the sudden tone shift. It scared him how these people switched moods so often, and how the man called him that, it made a shiver run down the angel's spine.

"Now, come. We have a lot to do."

Ryou squeaked as the clawed hand tightened its grip, dragging him off. Despite his blindfold, Ryou guessed his surroundings by everything he could feel. It was hard to walk, since they were walking through sand, and it was terribly hot outside. Ryou felt a bit relieved of the bind around his mouth, which blocked out the sand that was being blown around.

After what seemed like forever they stopped. Ryou was led to a cobblestone area, where he instantly sat down, panting behind the cloth. He was unused to this heat, and they were moving so slowly. The chains he wore only weighed him down further and made him walk slower. To his surprise, the hand grabbed the bind about his lips and pulled it down.

"I want you to tell me something. If you and Bakura are so close, why so many fights?" The voice was dripping with a tone that made the question sound like poison.

"…I…I don't know." Ryou stammered. He didn't really understand the question. How many times had they fought before this whole incident?

"Whatever." The voice growled.

"…Whom am I being taken to?" Ryou suddenly asked, shocked when he was struck.

"You do not speak out of place, _angel_." The man snarled, clawed fingertips near slitting open Ryou's cheek on contact. "Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes." Ryou stuttered. He was defeated.

The next few hours passed by without any incident or problem. But over time, Ryou was having more and more difficulties. His wings were beginning to droop from the heat and pain Ryou was feeling, the boy slowly getting dehydrated and weaker from the powerful heat.

And soon he had to stop and rest.

"Move." The man hissed, yanking Ryou's chain sharply.

Ryou, too weak to do anything, merely collapsed into the sand with a thud. He didn't get back up.

The man swore, dragging Ryou up by the scruff of his neck. Ryou wilted instantly in his grip, his wings drooping so much they touched the sandy ground.

His little body couldn't take much more.

-

Bakura growled, tearing down the grass path, unpaved and undeveloped when it came to buildings. The land was bare and pure, nature fresh and not a building in sight. It was dark outside by this point. He had spent the whole day throwing up, much to his disappointment…

Bakura stole a glance at the sky, and a small grin twitched across his lips. For one of the very few times, he was relieved of the full shape the moon had taken on…

And soon his senses were alive.

Bakura had to stop, using a tree for support. He moaned, the rays of moonlight revealing his figure. And soon Bakura was groaning, his canines rapidly lengthening, along with his claws. His wings spread, fluttering slightly and seeming to darken as his ears twitched, tips pointing further.

Bakura pushed himself away from the tree about a minute later, panting, and felt an all-too-familiar sensation in his stomach.

The need for blood…

Bakura tried to ignore it, and beat his wings, taking off above the ground, and took off, faster and faster, as his senses strengthened by the minute.

* * *

Ryou opened his eyes slowly. Tears fell freely from his chocolate colored orbs, and he swallowed a shaky breath of air. It was so much cooler now that it was dark…

The desert- or what Ryou guessed because of the area- was literally killing him. There wasn't enough water given to him for how much he walked in that blazing heat, and his legs and wrists were sore from dragging the chains. That only added unwanted weight. And it was hard enough as it was to be dragging yourself through sand.

His hopes were plummeting. It had been- what his captors said- three days since Ryou was first taken. Deep down, Ryou wasn't sure of whether or not to hope for Bakura to show his face. After all, hadn't he said he hated him…? And besides, there were no clues at all that Bakura was following him. And how was he supposed to figure out where Ryou was?

Ryou took another quivering breath. He was alone right now. He managed to ruffle his wings, before the objects drooped again. There was too much stress on his body for his wings to even stay up right now…

He was so tired, but he didn't want to sleep, in fear of what awaited him then. He strained to hear the voices that came from the room next door.

"…Hey, it's a full moon."

"Eh? Well, guess we'll meet up with some weird people tonight."

"We probably would anyway, because of we're headed…"

Ryou swallowed. For some reason this only made him feel worse, and he was unsure why.

"How much do you think we'll get?"

"A lot, probably. You saw his wings… It's one of the rarest color combinations to be mixed on one body. White is especially rare…"

Ryou whimpered, and felt more hot tears trickle down his face. Now he understood, well, partially anyway. He was just being caught and sold to who-knows-who…

But for what purpose?

* * *

Bakura stopped, and drifted to the ground, folding his black wings close. The once grass was developing into sand. The area around him was a small village.

The man ran into the streets, red eyes narrowed. He came around a corner, and froze as a rock collided with his head. Bakura hissed in a small amount of pain, and looked in the direction the stone had came from.

There were two children in the street.

Bakura's scowl melted away, and a smirk played onto his lips. Humans… _Perfect._

Bakura sprinted towards them, and the two ran off instantly with a scream. But Bakura was far faster. He snatched up the larger of the two by his arm and yanked him off the ground, and laughed a cold, bone-chilling laugh.

The screams awoke the small amount of people, who came running.

Soon Bakura was surrounded. He frowned, and dropped the child, who darted away instantly. Bakura noticed everyone was keeping a distance…

"Leave, beast." One spoke up, noticing Bakura's blood red eyes.

"No…" Bakura near purred, and came towards the man, "I have a want to fulfill."

The others sensed the danger as Bakura reached out with a clawed hand. Someone attacked the man from behind, getting a blade across Bakura's back. The vampire hissed in pain, able to smell his own blood. He grabbed the man closest to him, and opened his mouth, revealing his fangs. But he froze.

A thick knife sliced across Bakura's stomach.

Bakura froze, weakened by the sudden wound that was spilling blood. He staggered back a step, his wings fluttering desperately, before he ran off and took to the air in a retreat.

Soon he had to stop and rest. He pulled up his shirt a little, revealing a deep, nasty gouge in his stomach area, pouring blood, muscles torn. Bakura merely dropped his shirt. He continued to walk, but with an arm about his stomach.

Blood began to near soak his cut shirt and hand.

-

Ryou wretched, spitting up a bit of blood. He was shoved roughly, and he stumbled, letting out a low cry. He was still hurt, bleeding still, and the movements only made the pain worse.

His heart was filled with pain and icy fear. Soon he heard a creaking gate close, followed by the click of a lock. And suddenly the area beneath his feet jerked violently and began to move.

Ryou sat down. He was exhausted, cold and hungry, and deathly afraid of what awaited him. He had overheard the men talking about him being sent to the 'Leader' as a prisoner…

But what did he do that was so wrong?

Ryou felt around, and his hands met metal. He grasped it, figuring out he was in a cage of some sort by the metal bars he touched. Tears fell from his hidden eyes.

_Bakura… I…I only…wanted my memories… And now…I might die without even that…_

More hot tears fell. The slid down his pale, cut, and bruised face and dripped onto the stone floor of the cage. Ryou sank to the floor in one corner, and curled up in a tight ball, knees to his chest and his head on top of his knees. He cried and his mind wouldn't calm.

-

It had been an hour. Bakura was almost limping now, dizzy and weak and almost out of control. He had tasted to blood yet on his tongue. He had lost more blood than ever.

His stomach wound finally slowed its bleeding. But it looked horrible.

Bakura's eyes flashed. He pressed a hand to his forehead, struggling to hold his senses that seemed to be trying to bust right out. But without any blood intake to calm himself, he couldn't control it.

Bakura screamed. His claws visibly lengthened, along with his fangs. His pointed ears twitched again, and detecting no sound, he took off into the air. His leathery black wings beat in a rhythm, blood coating his hand and ripped shirt.

There was no control left.

His inner monster was currently free.

* * *

Chapter 11: End.


	12. Chapter 12

Ryou's eyes flew open suddenly. There was a group of voices, and the floor beneath his feet stopped moving as the cart jerked to a stop. The metal gate on the cage creaked loudly, before two strong hands grabbed him, one hand about his shirt and the other about his jeans. Ryou squeaked as he was dragged roughly out of the cage.

Ryou gasped as the blindfold about his eyes was grabbed and removed. For the first time since his capture he was able to see again. His mouth fell open.

It was a market. People were dragging around both demons and angels by iron chain leashes. Ryou noticed how weak and exhausted the prisoners looked, a lot of them bleeding heavily from wounds. Every prisoner had chains about their wrists and ankles, and a chain about their neck like a collar, and a chain shackled to that, making it a leash. The owners pulled them along by it. Most of their wings were drooping or utterly limp, some even dropping so far they dragged the ground. There was a stage not too far away, empty. But the space for the audience was overflowing with people.

"Come, boy." Ryou's captor growled, and jerked Ryou by his chain towards the stage.

Ryou was dragged to the stage, but in the back. He frowned at the group. There were about forty prisoners in the line, and there was a rainbow of wings: silver, black, gold, red, lavender, and more. Some even had a combination of colors, like black and a deep purple, or red and black. Ryou shifted uneasily as he noticed he was the only one there with one black and one white wing. And he was the only person standing with at least one white wing.

-

Bakura hissed. It was approaching daybreak steadily. His wings flapped once, carrying his faster through the air. His black wings hurt so badly from flying all night, but he didn't stop. His brain was no longer in it's correct standards from his vampire image manipulating his senses. He was focused on merely one thing.

He needed blood.

Finally the man lowered himself to the ground. He nearly collapsed since his stomach was still sliced open and his back cut as well. His wings ruffled slightly as he pulled them closer.

He started to run. He could smell blood. Lots of freshly spilled blood…

-

Ryou whimpered as he came to the front of the line. A knife sliced down his pure skin, cutting from his shoulder and stopping at the middle of his upper arm. The captors said it was a mark to resemble this day. Perhaps then they wouldn't forget the process of becoming a prisoner?

Finally the marks were done. The group was led to the steps. Ryou bit his lip at the boy in the front of the line. His wings were red, with paled skin, his shirt drenched with blood. Weakly the teenager trudged up the steps and onto the stage, where his captor came out, grabbed his chain, and spoke out.

But Ryou was listening to the words. He was watching the captive. He could sense the teen's terror and fear and want to go back to his home. The roar of voices that started, however, interrupted his thoughts. They were calling out prices and things to trade.

Ryou's heart sank. He figured it out. This was nothing more than an auction. His captives were just going to sell him off to someone else, probably for profit. Then what would happen?

Ryou's heart was heavy as a man- a demon- from the crowd climbed the steps. He handed over his trade, and seized the teenager, dragging him away.

Ryou watched the same process occur again for the boy in front of him, who possessed a golden and silver wing. They were limp, however, and tainted with blood.

And then he was sold off.

Then it was Ryou's turn. He took a shaky breath, and climbed the steps, staring intently at his bloody sneakers. He didn't want to look anyone in the eye.

His captor came along and seized his chain, and spoke out. But after he said Ryou was wanted; the crowd near exploded. Ryou's eyes widened as he looked over the crowd. Was he really that valuable?

Then all fell silent as a weird noise pierced the air. It sounded…like a bat…

There were screams as something darted through the crowd. Some people collapsed, bleeding and cut open. Ryou couldn't see the figure. It was moving too fast…

Suddenly the form was in front of him, cutting open his 'owner' and throwing him away. Ryou looked over his shoulder to see the prisoners struggling to escape.

Ryou screamed as two hands grabbed his shoulders. He shakily looked up, and froze at the blood red eyes that met his own. "B-Bakura?" Ryou asked, before starting to cry. "Oh…"

Bakura didn't seem to hear. He was more focused on the blood cascading down Ryou's arm.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked, more fearfully this time around. He shivered as Bakura began to lean in. "Bakura!" Ryou cried, desperate, and confused.

Bakura paid him no mind. He took Ryou's sleeves and ripped them apart from his shirt, revealing Ryou's bloodied shoulder, still spilling fresh blood. He leaned in.

Bakura moaned, licking the blood from Ryou's bleeding wound. He ran his tongue over the wound, drinking the blood, and catching what was falling. Soon the blood wasn't there anymore.

Bakura lifted his head, and leaned in towards Ryou's neck, taking his shirt front in his hands.

"Bakura!" Ryou screamed, trying to get away. _"Bakura!"_

His struggles were futile. Bakura grabbed his pale neck in between his lips, sinking in with his razor sharp fangs, and sinking in viciously. He drank deeply, as if the sweetest wine, and didn't stop, groaning occasionally in pleasure and relief.

Ryou was crying openly. He was beyond faint and dizzy. He had already lost so much blood, and now Bakura was taking what little remained. His sources were getting to a dangerous low.

Bakura felt Ryou shiver and he pushed the boy into the wall, biting harder and drinking even deeper. He didn't notice how Ryou was rapidly paling, and his wings were drooping, the color fading out. His skin was getting thinner, like paper.

"Bakura…" Ryou whispered, in pain. He was so weak now… His heart hurt… His knees buckled then.

Ryou collapsed, and Bakura went with him, still not letting go of Ryou's pale, slender neck. He didn't seem to notice how Ryou was becoming. His brain didn't register anything. His blood sources weren't enough to calm those animalistic vampire senses.

Ryou was sobbing openly. He pushed weakly against Bakura's thin body, trying to remove the feasting vampire. But Bakura didn't budge. "B…Ba…kura…"

Bakura stopped. He continued to drink, and didn't remove his fangs. But something in his brain froze at Ryou's tone.

It was as if Ryou was withering away into nothing. His wings further wilted, the colors dulling into a dull gray on the black side, and the white became even paler, like someone severely sick. His wings drooped, as his skin was getting dangerously pale.

Bakura slowly removed his fangs from Ryou's neck, and looked the boy firm in the eyes. Pain and confusion completely clouded over Ryou's once chocolate eyes. His irises were now rapidly becoming a withering gray.

"B…Ba…ku…ra…?" Ryou whispered. He could feel nothing. He knew he was fading away.

Bakura's eyes snapped open to an impossible size. He got off of Ryou, and put a hand over his mouth in shock, willing the blood to stay down. Ryou looked horrible… "R-Ryou?" Bakura croaked, just as confused as Ryou was.

"…Ba…ku…ra…" Ryou repeated, before his eyes fell shut.

"…R…Ryou? Ryou!" Bakura screamed, and scooping Ryou's rapidly withering body up in his arms. Ryou's chest was barely moving, and as Bakura pulled Ryou closer he could feel his heartbeat struggling. "Just hold on, okay? Okay?" Bakura said frantically, and slit open his arm with his razor sharp claws.

Ryou didn't do anything as Bakura forced his mouth open, and deepened the cut into a wound. Blood overflowed down his arm, and Bakura forced the blood into Ryou's open mouth.

Ryou's eyes weakly eased open. There was a weird substance in his mouth… His eyes widened a little.

Bakura further cut open his arm, forcing his blood into Ryou's mouth. He noticed the color coming back just barely to Ryou's deathly pale face, and his breathing wasn't as heavy. The color in his wings was coming back a little…

"B…Baku-" A sharp pain in his chest interrupted Ryou.

Bakura shushed him quietly, in pain. He let his life fluid flow, not caring how weak he was becoming. "Ryou…drink the blood… You…can't die…"

Ryou didn't move.

"Please… If…your blood runs out…you'll die, Ryou… Please…" Bakura near begged.

Ryou weakly lifted his head, and took Bakura's arm between his lips. He drank the man's blood, drinking deep from the wound. He hated the taste, but he could feel some energy returning…

Bakura watched silently as Ryou fell over, fainting. Bakura shakily put Ryou down beside him, his heart racing. _What…happened…?_

A sudden, sharp pain interrupted his thoughts. He lifted his shirt.

His wound looked even worse, almost infected. Bakura grimaced before he dropped his shirt. He was panting.

Before he could even blink he fell over beside Ryou. His chest heaved, and gently touched Ryou's paled wings. "I…I'm…sorry…Ryou…"

And his vision plummeted into darkness.

The market was empty.

* * *

Demons and angels are somewhat like humans. Blood is a life substance. However, the more blood that is lost, more of them fades.

When a certain blood loss is reached, they wither.

Angels fade quicker than demons. Despite healing abilities on their sides, they're gentler and not as athletic. Their bodies cannot handle as much.

When that level is reached, everything goes downhill. Their body functions fail, their colors fade, breathing increases, heart rate plummets, and their skin looses its fullness.

The only way to return to normal is by a rapid blood intake. However, the appearance and functions don't come back quickly. It takes a while. The blood intake merely saves their life.

And if no blood is taken in, they die.

Their bodies become hollow.

In another half an hour their bodies begin to fade away, and they vanish. Theirs souls go their respected place.

And all that's left behind is the paled feathers from their wings.

* * *

Chapter 12: End.


	13. Chapter 13

Ryou moaned weakly. There was warmth about his body, and he could feel himself being moved around. Slowly he opened his eyes, which were still an empty gray.

Bakura didn't notice the teen's awakening. He staggered as he walked, breathing hard in exhaustion. He hadn't slept in days…

"B…Ba…kura?" Ryou choked out, and coughed in pain, a pale hand going to his heart.

"…Y…You're…a…awake…" Bakura whispered. He looked like he was going to collapse at any second…

"…What…? Where…?" Ryou asked, feeling terribly weak.

"…The…v-vampire…incident…" Bakura said quietly, dragging himself along, though exhausted. "…I…left…with you…"

Ryou didn't answer. He squeaked, however, as Bakura collapsed onto his knees. "B-Bakura?"

Bakura let Ryou go, who fell to the ground with a small yelp. Bakura was trembling violently, clutching his stomach. His vampire features were gone, since sunlight was pouring over the area.

"…What's wrong?" Ryou asked, and weakly sat up. Bakura didn't answer, so Ryou instead forced away his hands and shakily lifted Bakura's shirt. He froze.

Bakura's wound looked even worse; it was coated with dried blood, the cut reddened and swollen, and around the wound almost black in color.

"…What…what happened?" Ryou asked, stunned by the deep, nasty gouge in the man's abdomen.

Bakura didn't answer.

Ryou stood up, and forced away Bakura's arms. Draping an arm about his neck he managed to lift Bakura from the ground. Grunting, he put the man on his back.

"R…Ryou…" Bakura whispered, trying to get down.

"Just get some sleep." Ryou said between clenched teeth, and walked off, his steps shaky. He could barely walk as it was, and Bakura only added unwanted weight. But he pushed on.

* * *

_He was pushed onto a stage in front of hundreds of people… A blade cutting into his back… More blood and stabs… A crimson river…_

_Bakura?_

_Bakura… The man jumping up from the crowd… Taking the blow for him… The weapon going through his stomach and near coming out of his back…_

_The demon dodging a blow…punching a man… He dragged him away…_

_There was so much snow. Snow that went past your knees, and just kept falling. Bakura collapsing…_

_Ryou taking him to shelter… A blue light trying to seal up the gap in his abdomen… Failing to heal the wound…_

_Falling asleep in the cold…_

_Waking up later to find Bakura barely breathing… His whole shirt stained with blood… Ryou scooping him up in his arms, and running to a hospital…_

_A strange man with blonde hair… Stitching the wound…_

_Tears falling down his cheeks… Relief and exhaustion flooding through his body…_

Ryou's eyes flew open. He found himself breathing heavily, and in a room. He glanced around, finding Bakura asleep beside him. He dragged a trembling hand through his hair. What were those images? Nightmares? Or memories…? Excitement flooded through Ryou's veins at the possibility.

Bakura whimpered suddenly, drawing Ryou's full attention to the sleeping male.

"_Get him! The Thief is getting away!"_

_Bakura chuckled lowly, his hood hiding his eyes. He darted down the corridor, the golden bracelets jangling about his wrists and ankles. His black wings were pulled close._

"_Now to the North Tower…" Bakura said as he leapt into a windowsill, his black wings spreading apart as he jumped. He soared over the castle walls, and landed on top of one of the towers. Grasping the roof he slid down the wall and onto the steps, and hurried inside._

"_Thief!" More frantic voices screamed. People darted this way and that, trying to grab Bakura. The man merely cut them and pushed them away or jumped right over them. He was getting closer…_

"_Get back here, Tomb Robber!"_

_Bakura snarled. No one used his name. It was either 'Thief' or 'Tomb Robber'. Never 'Bakura'. His eyes narrowed as he continued down the corridor._

_As he slid around a corner, he stopped. A bullet lurched into his right shoulder, making him clutch the wound area tight. Gasping he tried to run again, only to have another bullet hit him, this time, in his thigh._

_The force made him stumble back, where someone grabbed his throat. Bakura lurched backwards in a rush before slamming into a window._

_They both fell. Bakura punched them as they fell, and twisted his wrist so unmercifully it basically broke. Bakura shoved him aside, and screamed when he felt another shot break through his spine._

_One wing fluttered uselessly at his back, disabled from the bullet._

_Bakura landed in a stumble upon the north wall. He was panting, blood showing through his shirt and shorts. He darted along the north wall, heading east, his wing pulled close and his other drooping uselessly. He ran as fast as he could. But it was hard. His wounds slowed him down._

_He ran from the castle grounds in a retreat to heal his wounds._

Ryou shook Bakura's shoulders, but the man merely groaned, tossing and turning but not waking up.

_Bakura staggered when he reached the outside of the castle grounds. Panting, his fingers were curled about his wounded shoulder. Blood oozed down his arm and starting to make a circle of blood on his shorts. His left wing drooped, dragging the sandy ground, bloody and useless._

_The sun was coming up by this point._

_Bakura forced himself to jog, running up the slope. He couldn't stop. If he did, he'd merely be caught…_

_His breath kept quickening, his legs nearly going out a few times from his wounded thigh. His bracelets jangled as they collided, along with the combination of chains and a few golden necklaces he had stolen from the main corridor throne room. His hands tightened, the two rings on his fingers getting coated in blood._

_Soon he was at the top of the slope._

_A small wind started, blowing down his hood and stirring the sand. Bakura ground his teeth together for a second in sheer pain, whimpering a little from the burning pain of the bullets._

_He heard footsteps behind him._

_Spinning around, his hand went to his back pocket, extracting a dagger. Three guards, who had followed him, came forward. The battle took on for a few minutes before Bakura stabbed two. The other dodged Bakura's swipe, and punched the thief, sending him staggering backwards._

_Cold water sprayed up with a splash as Bakura hit the water._

_He didn't understand what was going on. A powerful current was dragging him along…_

_Soon his lungs ached, and he couldn't keep his eyes open. Right then, his consciousness a shred, the current stopped._

_Bakura kicked weakly, and broke the surface. He managed to stagger towards the shore, panting deeply. The water lowed to his waistline, and then to his knees. He didn't get any further._

_Bakura collapsed forward. Luckily he managed to fall onto a stone that was above the surface, and not into the water, otherwise he was sure to drown._

_Unconscious, his wings drooped, weighed down with water. His wing bled slightly, and so did his shoulder and thigh, getting the once crystal clear water in a mix of red._

Bakura screamed as his eyes flashed open. He was writhing on the floor, panting, his heart beating rapidly. He sat bolt upright, a hand going to his chest, gently caressing his shirt to try to calm his pounding heart.

"B-Bakura?"

Bakura's eyes rose to meet Ryou's gaze. The little angel smiled weakly at him, and came closer, on his knees.

"…What do you want?"

"…W-Well…you were screaming. I…I didn't know if you were okay or not…" Ryou whispered, his smile fading. He was more focused on the blood that drenched the stomach area of Bakura's shirt. "…Are…you feeling all right?"

Bakura didn't answer. Truthfully, he felt horrible. But he said nothing.

Bakura flinched as Ryou lifted the man's shirt. The wound still bled a little, looking far worse than before. Ryou frowned, and looked up at Bakura with concern glimmering in his eyes. "…Does…it hurt?"

Bakura merely looked away.

"Here, let me help. Please…" Ryou said, forcing Bakura to lie down on his back. Bakura merely looked at the wall. Ryou forced Bakura to lift his shirt up to his chest. Without his shirt covering his body, Bakura's thin yet muscled frame was revealed, the pale skin coated in blood. Ryou bit his bottom lip for a second or two, before reaching out.

Bakura yelped and jerked violently as Ryou gently touched his stomach wound. Even the teen's gentle, feather-like touch made it sting and ache even more.

"I-I'm sorry." Ryou said quickly, not wanting to hurt the man. "B-But…if I can't even touch it…how am I supposed to help?"

Bakura said nothing, his teeth gritted.

Ryou lowered saddened chocolate orbs to the floor. "…Y…You're not like me. Y-You're strong, Bakura. I…I want to be strong too… I…I don't have any memories. I can't fight back. I keep hurting you. It's not fair… I…I just want my memories back. I want to be strong, just like you, Bakura. A-And I want to find a place where I can actually belong!"

Bakura turned his head, just in time to see a trail of tears start down Ryou's pale cheeks. "Y…You're not weak…" Bakura said as he sat up, placing his hands on Ryou's shoulders. "Honest. You just need a little time. You used to be a real fighter when you got angry, Ryou, and I bet-"

"No… No. That was what I used to be, Bakura. But I don't remember that. I can't be anything as long as I'm some freak with no memories!" More tears ran down the boy's face. "It's not _fair!_"

Bakura's eyes widened in alarm as the lights began to flicker. He looked in pure shock at Ryou, who was almost wailing. "R-Ryou! Ryou, calm down!"

Bakura tried to grab the boy's arms, but Ryou just screamed and yanked himself away. The lights went out. The glass in the window to Bakura's left shattered instantly, and Bakura jumped when cracks appeared in the floor beneath his feet.

He couldn't be more relieved when Ryou's tears stopped.

Ryou collapsed, and Bakura caught him in his black-sleeved arms. Ryou breathed heavily, and looked up at Bakura with exhausted eyes. "…I…I… W…What…am…I?"

"I told you before. You're an angel without his memories."

Ryou began to cry softly, burying his face into Bakura's shirt.

"Hey. No more crying, Ryou. Okay?"

Ryou nodded weakly. "I…I just…"

"You're already strong, Ryou. You've overcame everything before this, and you're up to the brim with power you've never seen." Bakura said, and gave the boy a shaky smile. "Think you can heal my wound?"

Ryou chewed on his bottom lip for a second, and nodded slowly. "I…I'll have to get some materials…"

"I doubt it." Bakura said, and sat down, taking Ryou with him. "Come on. Show me."

Ryou bit his lip, and gently touched Bakura's stomach wound. His eyes grew to an impossible size as a bluish light flowed out of his fingertips and into Bakura's wound. The bleeding slowed, and stopped. The blackish red color faded slowly, and the wound sealed.

Ryou removed his hands, and looked down at them, and then up at Bakura in amazement.

"I told you." Bakura said, and chuckled softly as Ryou threw his arms about his thin frame and sobbed in happiness into his shirtfront.

* * *

Chapter 13: End. 


	14. Chapter 14

Ryou stared blankly up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. For some reason he just couldn't sleep. His mind was racing. He was focused intently on those pictures that showed more constantly in his brain, even though he didn't fully understand them. But it made him happy that they may be a link to his memories.

He turned his head away from the window to look at Bakura, who was sleeping to his left. The building was abandoned, so they had to sleep on the floor, but it was still shelter.

Bakura's back faced the teen, his head resting on a forearm. He slept soundly, his chest moving and falling in a rhythm. Long strands of white hair fell into the man's pale face. The strands hid the pale scar trailing down his right cheek.

Ryou sighed and sat up. It was useless to try to sleep. He stared at the man for a minute, and Bakura rolled over onto his back, revealing his scar. Ryou pondered it aloud, keeping his voice in a whisper. "…What could've caused that…?"

He reached out with trembling fingers, and touched the mark. Bakura cringed in his sleep, grimacing, and swatted at Ryou's hand in his sleep, before rolling over slightly.

Ryou frowned. He reached out, touching the man's shoulders. He gasped as he began to see pictures: memories that weren't his own, but Bakura's instead.

"_Get the Thief!"_

_Bakura screamed as a dagger sliced into his upper arm. He grimaced, and pulled free, trying to run. The gold jangled in the process, blood cascading down his arm, matching his red cloak._

_He couldn't fly. Bullets had grazed his wings, each with a spell, making the pain at least three times as much, and disabling his wings._

"_Get him!" The voice repeated._

_Bakura winced, getting stabbed again, this time in his back. He was well overwhelmed. There was only one of him and over thirty opponents… He hadn't slept in two days, and he was exhausted._

_Bakura screamed as a spell hit him full force, knocking him over, and he collapsed onto his knees. Blue lines and light of electricity flowed over his body, going inside of him, bringing violent jolts and he screeched with overflowing pain._

_Another spell came right after, sucking his strength dry. He couldn't move. It was as if he was paralyzed…_

"_Got him! We have the Tomb Robber…"_

_Bakura gave a weak snarl of protest as two men came towards him. But he couldn't fight back. Iron chains were shackled about his wrists and ankles, and a large, thick iron ring was fastened about his waist, along with small, but heavy, ones on the small bones of his wings, weighing them down, and a thin iron collar about his throat. It prevented all means of escape._

Ryou swallowed hard. He wanted to stop watching these pictures. But another part of him really wanted to know Bakura's past. So he kept watching.

_Two grueling long months passed. Bakura sat on the floor of his cell, his hair near gray from the dust, and blood dried across his body, his clothes ripped in a few places. He was thinner than before all of this happened, and his weight had plummeted. Bakura glanced down at the iron ring about his waist, which had become so loose he could slide it a little over his hipbones._

_It was so cold in that prison. He hated it. A person of his status would do near anything to get out of the royal dungeons. Bakura snarled aloud. Oh, how he hated the royals. The Leader and his servants… Never having to deal with anything near as bad as what he experienced._

"_Thief. Dinner."_

_Bakura growled deep within in throat. It made him feel like an animal when people talked to him that way. The man opened the door a little, walked not even ten steps to where Bakura sat, placed the tray at his feet, and left, making sure to shut the iron door and lock the cell._

_Bakura merely stared at the plate. A part of him really wanted to eat it, but another didn't. It was a wonder he hadn't died from starvation yet… He was so hungry, but he didn't want to eat. Eat the food that his captors made…the ones who treated him like dirt…_

_Bakura growled at the thought, but grabbed the little pitcher of water and drank it. It wasn't nearly enough to quench the overwhelming thirst he had…_

_That morning came by slowly. Shockingly, he was let out of his cell, for a 'meeting'._

_Bakura dragged himself along. The iron chains seemed even heavier than before, since he had no strength from not eating._

"_Hello, Thief."_

_Bakura glared and growled, baring his sharp canines. "Shov-" An elbow slammed into his ribs, silencing the man._

_Bakura was dragged into the throne room, where the Leader was waiting._

"_Tomb Robber…"_

_Bakura hissed at how his name was said. "What do you want?"_

"_To talk to you. Your behavior…it's strange. You don't eat, and you don't try to speak when you're alone in that cell."_

"_Why _would_ I speak?!" Bakura screamed. "I have no one to talk to!" Already narrowed eyes further slimmed._

"_Now, now. You need to control your temper." Bakura growled, almost whimpering as the man's elbow slammed into his bruised and damaged ribs. "Maybe it'd be best if…you were…eliminated, Thief."_

"_You're…going to kill me?" Bakura asked, before his eyes widened. "No! You can't. This isn't…this isn't fair! I hate you! I _hate_ you!" Bakura screamed as he was pulled towards the back room, cursing and screaming the whole way._

_His anger… It was bubbling in his blood, his temper raging out of control. Who had the right? A right to end his life? His captors had no say… He was his own person. He chose everything._

_Horror crossed faces as Bakura growled, his eyes flashing red._

_Bakura swore, his wings lifting a little. His canines began to lengthen, along with his nails. With a bellow of rage, he pulled his wrists apart._

_The chains broke, crumpling to the floor._

_Bakura's eyes were alight in a crimson shade, like blood. He began to attack, ripping the chains away like tissue paper. Blood cascaded over the tiled floor and down the walls, and soon Bakura and the Leader remained._

_Bakura glared at him, but ignored him, giving him a curse under his breath, a threat, and jumped out of the window. His rage had calmed quickly…_

_Red dulled, his teeth shortening. His temper was in his hands now. The killing spree had let out his steam. Blood ran down his hands but he didn't notice._

_He was free again._

_The Leader stood at the window, and frowned. "Thief… You'll be back, won't you?"_

And Ryou let go slowly, puzzling over Bakura's own memories silently before he fell asleep.

* * *

"Ohhh…" Ryou said with enormous eyes. He walked close to Bakura, and the two had just reached town. It was filled with shops, colored lights strung around. It was currently dark, since it had taken almost all day to get there. Ryou, not being able to remember, was amazed.

"Oh, look at this!" Ryou near squealed. He was sounding like a child going into a toy store for the first time. Bakura struggled to keep up with Ryou, who was constantly running off and peering through the windows with a huge smile upon his lips.

Bakura finally grew tired of the game of cat and mouse, and grabbed Ryou's wrist. The boy stopped, looking at the man.

"…We need to stay focused. I have things to do before we can go off subject…"

"But why?" Ryou asked. He felt Bakura's grip go slack just a little, staring at the older male with big brown eyes that shimmered with confusion.

"I need to get a few things before we do anything else, okay?" Bakura said slowly, and let go of the teen's wrist, beginning to lead the way. "Stay close to me. I don't want you to get into trouble."

Ryou let Bakura lead, the angel staying at his side. Bakura entered a shop, Ryou at his heels, and stopped instantly as they entered. It was a store that had a mix of many things, items dangling from the ceiling, and the shelves near stuffed.

Ryou followed Bakura around for a few minutes, before he found his own interests leading the way. He stopped and looked through the little glass cases and the walls, gazing occasionally up at the ceiling. He froze, however, as he noticed a picture in a glass frame.

Two children…one an obvious angel, and one a demon, with enormous wings, one set silver, the other black with blood upon them. The demon was in the little angel's arms, eyes closed. The angel wept openly, crystal droplets cascading down a pale face. The little demon was obviously dying, his shirt drenched in blood. In the background was smoke and flames, and silhouettes of taller people.

Ryou, as if in a trance, reached towards the picture with shaking fingers, and touched the glass. Something inside of him snapped completely out of focus.

A massive stream of images flowed into his brain. They didn't stop, nor slow. Pictures with blood, tears, screaming, capture, emotions… Ones with torture, pleads for help, pleads for someone to show, wishes, and some happy moments…

Bakura spun around as a light appeared, noticeable, since it was dim in the shop. He gasped.

A pale lavender color was about Ryou's body in a small glow. Bakura darted over to the boy as Ryou collapsed face-first onto the hardwood floor. "Ryou!"

A few people started to come over. Bakura was already on his knees beside the boy, sitting him upright. "Ryou, are you okay? Say something…"

But Ryou didn't hear him. He was still watching the film only he could see.

Bakura's eyes widened as Ryou screamed, before spitting up blood. His wings lifted by themselves, visibly growing a little longer. His powers all activated at once, sending items crashing to the floor, luckily not breaking. Ryou screamed at the top of his lungs, and suddenly, all the streams of lights outside went out.

The market was in total darkness.

Ryou hacked up more blood as the memories sped up greatly. He could remember… He could remember meeting the man, the first year of them together, spending pain and happiness and sorrow together, the bond getting stronger and thicker. As more memories came into his consciousness, he coughed up more and more blood. Soon blood completely soaked his jeans and was all over the floor.

"R-Ryou?" Bakura asked fearfully, scooping the boy up in his arms. He was getting worried at how the boy didn't seem to even notice him.

Suddenly the glow stopped, along with Ryou's magic. The lights outside slowly came back on. Ryou's wings drooped again, Ryou nearly unconscious in the man's arms.

"…Ryou?" Bakura asked quietly.

Ryou slowly opened his eyes, vision blurry. It focused slowly, and he could see Bakura's face, his eyes alert with concern. "B…Ba…kura?"

Bakura was startled as Ryou hugged him. He stared down at the bundle in his arms, who had his arms about him in a warm embrace. "Ryou…?"

But Ryou didn't hear. He was crying.

"Ryou? Ryou, what's wrong?" Bakura asked in a worried voice, hearing and able to see the boy's tears.

"K-Kura…" Ryou whispered, loosening his warm hug a little, and looked at the man. "…I…I can remember now…"

And Bakura's own eyes widened, and began to burn, struggling to hold in his own tears.

* * *

Chapter 14: End.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N: Ok. Here's the deal on my other not-lately-updated fics... I'm trying to finish the Demons & Angels series before anything else. Truthfully, I kind of want to finish it up so I can start new fics that I really want to work on. So, I just wanted to apologize for not updating lately, and I know a lot of you are waiting for new chapters... I can't assure when I'll update the others, but I'm going to try to update them soon...

* * *

Bakura walked down the road, a sleeping Ryou in his left arm, and two bags of materials in his right hand. He glanced at Ryou, who slept soundly, but the blood… Bakura grimaced. It had dried, but completely coated the boy's jeans. He shuddered a little at the memory of Ryou coughing up so much of it…

_But he can remember now… It…was worth it…wasn't it?_

Bakura bit his lip a little in thought. Ryou seemed more happy than upset when the memories first came back. Maybe…he hadn't focused on his near death first thing?

Ryou softly sighed in his sleep, shifting a little in Bakura's arm. Bakura stared at him for a second, before sighing himself. Deep down, he was a little worried of how Ryou was going to act when he came back around…

* * *

"_Get up."_

_Bakura obeyed, panting, and lifted himself up on his knees. He got to his feet and ran, trying to punch the much taller male. His attack was merely blocked, and a blow came to his face, sending him skidding backwards._

"_How do you expect to protect yourself when you can't even beat _me_?"_

_Bakura snarled weakly. He was exhausted… Summoning his strength he ran forward again, only to have the man's hand go his forehead, and pushed him down. Bakura merely sat there, breathing hard and heavy. His wings drooped and sweat decorated his face. He merely glared._

"_Already tired, eh?"_

_Bakura hissed a little as he was merely plucked off the ground by the scruff of his neck, like a kitten. His glare deepened._

"_Ah. Angry, are we?" A grin. Bakura growled deep within his throat. "Seems your temper only gets bigger the older you get."_

_Bakura yelped as he was dropped, roughly hitting the ground. He whimpered slightly, nursing his elbow, which had absorbed some of the blow. But his glare didn't budge. The child rose to his feet, his little wings spreading slightly. "I'll show you. Just you wait. You're gonna lose soon, and you'll be sorry."_

"_Sure. Whatever you say, kid."_

_Bakura growled, and stalked off. Weaving through the tiny village he knew by heart, he blinked as he came to the edge. It almost looked like a sandstorm in the distance… His eyes widened as he heard sounds. Sounds he had been taught to fear._

_The child darted back into the shelter of his village, running as fast as he could, towards home. But his hopes fell as a hand caught his wrist, pulling him out of the street. "Let me go!"_

"_Shut up. You have to stay here. They're coming."_

"_No! I have to go! Dad and mum-"_

"_They can protect themselves. Do you want to just get in the way?"_

"_But…" Bakura swallowed, looking out into the street, where people were running away, and then back at the girl with green eyes. She was one of the people he had to learn to beat…like his master… Unlike Bakura, his opponents were so much bigger than him… "No… No! I have…I have to go."_

_He snapped free of her grip, and darted across the street, ignoring her screams to come back._

_Bakura ran through the alley, coming out to his side of the village. He stayed in the darkness, watching in horror. There were strangers… His master…he had told him about them… His eyes widened. Blood began to flow onto the ground as the strangers took out daggers and weapons, killing what Bakura called his family…_

_Bakura's little hand curled about his heart, his wings being pulled close as a shiver ran down his whole body. He found that the strangers had attacked from both sides of the alley. He was trapped._

_Looking around, he noticed the alley wall was jagged, like a few others around the village. He grabbed the first, and climbed. His wings weren't big enough yet, so he couldn't fly up. Finally he reached the roof._

_Bakura crouched low, not wanting to be noticed. He frowned, feeling a few tears form in his eyes. There were flaming arrows thudding into the bases of the houses, starting fires that couldn't be controlled. Blood was coating the walls and ground, and the dying bodies were being pulled in groups…_

_Bakura wiped the tears from his eyes and ran along the roof, until he reached the other side. All the houses had roofs that went downhill… Bakura slid down to the edge of the roof, and grabbed it. His legs dangled, and he glanced over his shoulder. The ground was really far down… But he had no choice…_

_He let go of the roof._

_The child fell, his little wings trying to flutter at the very least. No success…_

_Bakura stifled his noise the best he could. He managed to land on his knees, which hurt so bad he thought he would scream. Luckily, nothing was broken from his fall._

_Bakura staggered upright, brushing a few stray strands of white hair out of his lavender colored eyes. He peeked around the corner, seeing this street empty now. He ran along the side, jumping over the pools of blood and pieces of bodies he found along the way._

_Finally he found his home…but not the way he hoped… It was alight with flames, arrows sticking out of the walls and floor inside. It was crumbling by now, coated in blood…_

"_Mum? Dad?" Bakura called out, looking around. He didn't understand… What did these people want? Why were they hurting his people…? The war around him had stopped, but the flames and blood continued. The strangers had left, thinking they had cleaned everyone out._

_Bakura was panicking. Where were his parents? The roof of his home had caved in by this point. Figuring out slowly his parents weren't there; he took off in a sprint down the street._

"_Master!" Bakura called, hoping the same thing wouldn't happen. But as he reached the abode, the same thing occurred. His teacher was gone…_

_Finally, after searching for near hours, so long the smoke made his eyes turn red and he couldn't breathe, he gave up. He trudged out of the ruins, and to the edge of what used to be home. The fires had stopped by now, and he was left staring at almost nothing._

_His knees went out. Sinking to the ground, Bakura sniffled, his tiny black wings drooping in sadness and confusion. Finally, he started to cry, like a normal child would._

Ryou opened his eyes, looking down at Bakura. The man was no longer thrashing around as much, but still looked uneasy.

After he had gotten his memories back, he decided to test out his abilities. Apparently his Dreamreading was still just as strong… He could still see Bakura's memories just fine.

Ryou released the man, sitting back a little, and sighed. He felt so upset after he watched the man's memory streams… They were always so treacherous and heartbreaking in his eyes… No wonder Bakura was the way he was… Unable to trust people and being so emotionless…

Bakura moaned suddenly, and stirred. Slowly, his eyes drifted open. He gasped a little. He hadn't been expecting Ryou to be looming over him with worried eyes… "What…are you doing?" Bakura asked, frowning a little.

Ryou shook his head softly, making strands of white hair fall into his eyes. "…I…kind of looked into your dreams…"

"Oh…" Bakura said quietly, sitting upright by now.

"…I…I'm sorry about what happened…"

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your fault… It was _his_ fault…all of it…"

"Who?" Ryou asked, confused. When Bakura didn't answer, Ryou inched a little closer. "Tell me."

"The Leader…him and his servants… I hate him so much…" Bakura's eyes narrowed. "He took everything from me… He destroyed my village, taking those lives, thinking that just because we were thieves we had to die first… That because we were poor we were nothing…" Bakura's eyes snapped shut, a frown upon his lips and a scowl on his face. "That's why…Marik and I were planning it all this time… We were planning an attack, and to overthrow him… But…I've been thinking…that maybe…you and I could do it together instead."

Ryou's heart skipped a beat in surprise. Overthrow the greatest leader in the realm? It would be chaotic… "I…I don't know…"

"…I want him out of my way." Bakura said in a dangerous voice, a fist clenching at his side. His other hand was curled about his jeans.

Ryou bit his bottom lip softly. "…Bakura…are you just…trying to overthrow him for revenge…? Or do you want your own rights…?"

"Both." Bakura said instantly. "We live in a realm full of rules that separate different races like a barrier. Shouldn't we be able to choose our own people and friends? Like…the way we did?"

Ryou felt his face heat up in a blush. "I…I guess so…"

"Ryou. Be honest with me. Do you think it's wrong or not?" Bakura was leaning forward now. "The way we're being wanted just for hanging out together? Being charged for breaking stupid rules? How we can't be free to our own choices…?"

Ryou's face was blazing crimson. Bakura was only inches away from him, eyes narrowed, looking firm. Ryou nodded slowly, and then once more, firmly. "…Y…You're right. I guess…I guess I'm with you."

"Good. I…I'm glad." Bakura said, and smiled, blushing a little himself.

After a minute or so of silence Ryou spoke. "…Bakura…when my memories were gone… Did…you miss me being able to remember?"

Bakura's heart skipped a beat. "I…I…" A blush tainted his face. "…I guess I did. It wasn't really…the same as before… You had to learn everything all over again, unable to remember everything we went through. Honestly…after I almost killed you…I was so upset. I…I was really depressed…and I couldn't stop regretting what I did… I…I'm so sorry Ryou… If I hadn't have gotten so angry…" Bakura was shocked to find tears trickling down his face by this point.

"Hey. Don't cry, Bakura…" Ryou said softly, large, chocolate colored eyes staring up at him. "It's okay… I forgive you. Please, don't cry…"

Bakura nodded weakly, wiping the droplets from his face. Oh, how weak that made him feel… "I'm sorry…"

"Don't worry about it, okay? That's the past. Right now we have other things to take care of. Like…your plan for the Leader…right?"

Bakura smiled. A real smile… "Right… Now, here's the deal…"

Ryou listened intently. He took an instant interest to what Bakura told him. He told him some stories of his past, how the government there worked, when he stole from the royal chambers, and so on. He also explained how the guards were posted and drew Ryou a little diagram outside in the dirt with a stick of the easiest routes and escape plans. Excitement was already flooding through his veins…

It made Bakura happy to see how interested Ryou was. Maybe this was the best choice…

Ryou took the stick from Bakura's hands, and drew a line. "So if we're trying to get to the throne room…we need to go in through this window here, and head north if there's guards here?" Ryou said, pointing and drawing at the same time.

"Exactly." Bakura said, smiling a little. "You catch on fast, Ryou."

Ryou blushed deeply, and lowered his gaze, the bangs hiding his face. "Thank you…"

The two finished the night, making plans, and eventually, they fell asleep, side by side, the stick still in Ryou's hand.

* * *

Chapter 15: End.


	16. Chapter 16

"_Ryou? Ryou! _Ryou_!" Bakura screamed, sprinting down the corridor, nursing his bleeding, broken arm at the same time. The hallway seemed endless…_

_He screeched to a stop as a clawed hand lunged out from a separate branch of hallway, and seized his throat._

_Bakura grunted, feeling blood rise into his throat instantly. He kicked weakly._

"_Hello, Thief."_

_The grip grew tighter. Bakura almost whimpered, in raging pain, spitting up blood in agony and due to his injuries._

"_Does this look familiar…?"_

_Bakura's narrowed eyes widened to the size saucers. "R-R-Ryou…"_

_The boy glanced up at him. His captor had him by the scruff of his neck, dragging him easily off his feet and above the floor. Near soulless brown eyes stared blankly at him, pale skin coated in blood._

"_Ryou! Ryou!" Bakura screamed desperately as the captor placed a dagger against the angel's collarbone. "RYOU!"_

_No avail._

_Ryou screamed as the blade injected, and he was released, falling like a rock to the ground. He began to hack up nothing but blood, getting it all over the floor and his jeans. Blank, hurt eyes looked up at Bakura, Ryou whimpering softly._

"RYOU!" _Bakura screamed, before the angel collapsed onto his side, his little form beginning to fade away._

Bakura's eyes flashed open. He sat bolt upright, panting, and was stunned to find Ryou sitting right beside him, upon his knees, staring at him with concerned orbs. "Are…you okay?"

"Y-Yeah." Bakura said quietly, clutching the area of his chest softly in a desperate attempt to calm his racing heart.

"…I…I saw it…" Ryou said quietly. "…Are…you that worried about the plans for the rebellion…?"

Bakura shrugged lightly. "…I…guess I'm a little worried… I…I'm kind of worked up over this whole thing, if you know what I mean…"

Ryou nodded, before straightening, unfurling his wings, stretching them. "…I…I'm kind of…looking forward to it."

"It's not going to be easy, you know."

"I know… But…it'll be worth a shot. Maybe if things go correctly…those rules won't be intact anymore…" Ryou paused, seeming to ponder something for a minute or so. "Bakura…what exactly…do you know for a fact about the Leader?"

Bakura seemed to think deeply about it for a minute or so. "…We're not sure if he's a demon or an angel, since he doesn't have wings. There's…an assistant…if that's what you can call it…that he has. They're always seen together." Bakura hesitated, and bit his bottom lip softly. "…Marik tells me that the Leader is a demon and his assistant may be the opposite. Marik…always asks me why they can associate but we can't…"

"He's right. Mum always said to practice what you preach." Ryou said softly. "…It's…not right."

Bakura didn't answer the comment. "…Go back to sleep. We have a lot of stuff going on tomorrow." He said before lying down, his back to Ryou.

Ryou was more hesitant, but sighed, and obeyed. It was mere minutes before he fell asleep.

* * *

"Okay. You can do what you want, but don't leave this place. I need to get a few more things before we head off." Bakura said, and disappeared into the crowd.

Ryou, alone, began to wander. Not having anything else to do, he searched through the shops, and found alleyways between them. He paused in the enterance of one, hearing a pitiful sound.

Twenty minutes passed, and Bakura was calling his name, his left arm weighed down with bags. He had separated from Ryou to get some things for last minute preparations, but Ryou had apparently disappeared from the marketplace. He was searching, and stopped when he noticed the boy through a small passage between two shops. He squeezed inside, and noticed the alley spaced out as he neared the back. He was stunned at the sight when he reached the back corner. "Ryou?"

Ryou glanced up from the little bundle of kittens that were piled on his lap, mewing and purring and taking on his warmth. "O…Oh… H-Hi…"

"What're you doing?" Bakura asked, frowning, and crouched down to meet Ryou's level. Without waiting for a response, he picked up a kitten from Ryou's lap, holding it by its neck, but gentle enough not to cause harm. Bakura stared the animal down for a minute, before looking at Ryou. "…They're runts."

"Well…yeah… They're still kittens, Bakura. They haven't grown up yet." Bakura blinked, staring back down at the kitten in his hands. "And you're not holding it right."

Before Bakura had a chance to protest, Ryou forced his hands into a different shape, and moved the kitten into Bakura's cradle. Ryou couldn't help but smile. "You know…I think we should name it Bakura."

Bakura's head snapped up. "_What?"_

"It looks like you." Ryou said with a small smile. The bundle in Bakura's arms was solid black, but its little paws were solid white, with dark eyes that seemed to change color.

"…Then we're naming _that_ one after you." Bakura said with a smirk, nodding towards the one on Ryou's lap. It was curled up in a near ball, the smallest one, asleep. It was solid white, with a black splotch on its tail as if it was dipped in paint.

Ryou laughed softly. "Fine, fine."

Bakura set the kitten down, which gave a small mew of protest, wanting to share Bakura's warmth. As if desperate, it hooked little claws into Bakura's jeans.

Ryou looked like he was going to melt. "Bakura…"

"No, Ryou. We can't keep them. None of them." Bakura said coldly, straightening. "We can't care for a cat. We're not home enough. Maybe we can get one later. Now come on."

Ryou sighed, trying to remove the balls of fluff off of his lap without disturbing the batch of kittens too much. His eyes softened as the sleeping white kitten awoke, staring at him with glimmering emerald eyes. Ryou's heart contracted violently, and tore his eyes away, gently setting the animal down, and hurried after Bakura, trying to ignore the mews that near broke him to pieces.

* * *

"…Bakura…how…much farther?" Ryou asked, exhausted. His legs, wings, and basically everything else hurt. They had been traveling pretty much all day.

"We still have a long way to go."

"…Well…can we stop for a minute? Please?" Ryou asked, his legs aching from his feet to mid-thigh. He paused, stopping in his tracks. Bakura walked so _fast_, and since he was so tired, it was hard to keep up.

"…All right, fine. Come here."

Ryou made a small noise as Bakura grabbed his wrist, throwing him roughly over his shoulder. With a grunt he started up again, but turned left, and went off course.

"…Aren't…you going the wrong way?" Ryou asked.

"I know what I'm doing. Besides, you said you're tired."

Ten minutes slipped by before Ryou felt Bakura stop. The male set Ryou down, who was confused by the small area they were standing at. He glanced at Bakura in confusion.

It was a hospital center. They were standing on the outside complex, which reminded Ryou of when he fought Bakura in a game of soccer at that one hospital.

"Go sit down." Bakura nodded in the direction of the swing.

Ryou hesitantly obeyed, and walked over to the swing set, sitting down carefully. Idly he fidgeted with the chains that supported him.

"You have ten minutes. Then we have to leave. Okay?" Bakura said, coming up behind Ryou. Without another word, he put his hands between Ryou's wings, and gave him an animalistic shove.

Ryou's eyes widened. He didn't realize Bakura had pushed him until his legs left the ground, and the air picked up speed… He relaxed. It made him feel young and old at the same time, remembering how him and Amane used to act like this…

Bakura stood off on the sidelines, leaning on the chain link fence, watching Ryou with a slight smirk. How childish the boy could be…

Finally Bakura had to force Ryou away from the grounds, because he didn't want to leave. But Ryou listened, but pouted as they started to head off again, following the gravel trail. The sun was setting.

"…Thanks." Ryou said slowly, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. His cheeks were flushed slightly from the air rushing into his face.

Bakura merely nodded.

Ryou kicked a stray pebble, before looking back up at Bakura. "Hey. You've been really quiet today… Is…something wrong?"

Bakura shook his head slightly. "…Just…had my mind on other things today…"

"Like what?"

Bakura glanced at Ryou, who was staring up at him innocently. Bakura heaved a sigh, forcing a smile. "A…A lot of things… The past, the present, the future, I guess…"

Suddenly Ryou spoke up. "Bakura…even after all of this is over…and…if we get separated or killed along the way… You…won't forget about me…will you?"

Bakura, taken by surprise, felt a barely noticeable blush dust his cheeks. He nodded slightly. "I won't… And you won't forget me either then, right?"

Ryou nodded. "Right."

It was dark now. Ryou lifted his head to gaze at the sky, and his brow furrowed at the object he knew would only cause a problem. An almost full moon… "…Bakura… The…the moon…"

"I know." Bakura said quietly. His hand clenched, unnoticed by Ryou, who was still staring up at the vast sky, with the millions of little stars. _Maybe I'll be able to find a way to eventually hold my vampire image back… Maybe not soon, but maybe later…_

"…You know…sometimes…I wanted to be a vampire. It seemed really…really cool to me. You know, being able to survive of food or blood and being nocturnal and everything…"

"…It's not that easy." Bakura said quietly. "We can go on rampages, lose ourselves and become vampires who merely over drink for the fun of it, lose our minds to our power and our abilities, abuse our ability to morph, and so on. But…" Bakura sighed. "I don't know. I guess I…just don't know."

"But do you basically like it?"

"…I wouldn't say I _like _it. It's just a normal thing for me now. Like how you're an angel and your powers sometimes act up… You've grown used to that. Just like me. It's a routine. And I have to keep doing it. Sometimes things get a little extra spice to it and get…interesting… I guess… It's kind of hard to explain…"

Ryou smiled a little. "I understand."

Bakura finally looked the boy straight in the eye. "Really?"

Ryou nodded. "Angels can lose their minds too, you know. It's not just vampires and demons… Like…that one time…when we both lost it…and you…went overboard…"

Bakura grimaced. Ryou was taking up the subject of his near death now… What he had feared all this time…

"Ryou…about that…I need to talk to you. I need to talk to you about that incident."

* * *

Chapter 16: End.


	17. Chapter 17

"What do you mean?" Ryou asked, puzzled.

"…I…I'm sorry." Bakura said, knowing it was the near millionth time he was apologizing for it. But what else could he do? "I-"

"Bakura. I already told you. I forgive you. You need to stop worrying about that. We were both out of it from fighting and getting rid of that demon. Our power got…out of control. It was out of our limits."

Both sets of eyes locked. Bakura noticed the determination in the angel's eyes. They were no longer clouded with the old shyness and secretiveness, but instead, glimmering with a whole new set of emotions…as if Ryou was no longer afraid to stand up for what he thought was right…

"…You don't have to keep telling me you're sorry." The light brightened in Ryou's eyes, a small smile coating his lips.

Bakura sighed, and nodded. "…All right. I just…I just keep feeling guilty for doing it… If I had listened to you, maybe it wouldn't have gone that way…"

"Bakura, please. Please stop putting the blame on yourself like that. It's bad for you. And it's my fault too. It was the past. We're over that now, right?"

…_He's changed. He's not afraid. He's not worried of how people think of him. He actually shows his emotions…_

Bakura smiled. A real smile; they seemed to be coming more and more nowadays… "Right."

* * *

Bakura's eyes flashed open. It hurt… He glanced at the sky, noting the full moon. His senses hadn't kicked in at all yet, until now. He could tell it was way past midnight…

His breathing had increased greatly by this point. He curled a clawed hand about his chest, panting, and one eye closed in pain. His fangs began to appear.

Bakura snarled, his grip tightening as the pain grew. He glanced at Ryou with rapidly reddening eyes. He really didn't want to use Ryou as a source again…but…

He grabbed hold of an area of the angel's hair, yanking his head up swiftly.

Ryou awoke instantly, his eyes flashing open with sheer fear inside of them. "B-Bakura?"

"…H…Hold…still…" Bakura said quietly, his chest heaving. The grip tightened greatly as his other hand took Ryou's wrists to prevent him from fighting back.

Ryou's eyes grew even wider. Bakura opened his mouth entirely, revealing the long, thick pair of fangs, glimmering. Ryou made a small noise as Bakura bit roughly into his neck. The grip on his hair faded, and Bakura hands took one wrist each, digging in with his claws to take out his pain.

Ryou didn't fight. He merely sat there, letting Bakura use him. He knew. He knew the difficulty the man was going through…

Millions of thoughts ran through Bakura's mind in mere seconds. Memories of rampages, taking Ryou as a victim for multiple times… His hold on Ryou's neck loosened just a little, blood cascading down his neck and staining his shirt collar, decorating his lips.

"…Bakura…" Ryou said quietly. He felt the man tense. "…Don't feel bad about it…"

Bakura slowly removed his canines, which were now bloodied. He stared at Ryou before lowering his gaze, pulling his legs up to his chest. Silently he put his head down.

"Hey…are you okay?" Ryou asked, eyes softening as he inched closer to Bakura, sitting on his knees.

Bakura didn't answer.

"Bakura, please, talk to me." Ryou said, ignoring the blood trickling down his pale neck. He could tell Bakura was upset… "Please…"

Bakura opened his mouth before closing it again, sighing, and softly shook his head. He flinched as Ryou's hand gently touched his arm. It made the pain he could currently feel almost a hundred times worse…

Bakura stood up slowly. His entire body hurt so badly, like when he didn't take in any blood at all. _Is…my vampire image…changing…?_

A jolt of raging pain shattered his thoughts. He gasped almost silently, and squeezed his eyes shut, and reopened them before darting off.

"Bakura! Bakura, come back!" Ryou shouted, getting to his feet, and gave chase.

Bakura ignored Ryou's cries, his clawed hand curled about the area of his heart. His breathing kept increasing as a strange feeling of warmth completely crawled over him. It felt so uneasily hot, despite the cool breeze blowing… His pulse rang in his ears. One beat. Another beat, faster than before…

Ryou was catching up now, since Bakura was beginning to slow. The demon stumbled, and collapsed, not getting back up. Ryou hurried over to him.

Bakura was lying flat on his stomach, breathing harshly. His wings drooped so horribly they covered his body like a black blanket. His claws and fangs seemed longer than usual, and his pointed ears were revealed. He tried, and failed, to raise himself off the ground.

Ryou's eyes widened as Bakura coughed harshly, sounding like he was about to spit up blood. But he didn't. He merely kept coughing, digging deep into the grass with his razor sharp claws, his shoulders getting tense and his back straightening completely. "…B…Bakura…?"

He couldn't hear anything, except his pulse. It kept increasing. Faster and faster, hurting more and more… _Make it stop! _Bakura mentally screamed, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as he could. _Make it go away!_

Bakura didn't realize the stinging tears that were welling in his closed eyes. It hurt so _badly_…

"Bakura…talk to me. Please." Ryou said, almost begging. He was on his knees, beside Bakura, and placed his hand on his arm.

He wasn't sure of what happened next.

Bakura lunged out, grabbing hold of Ryou's hair. He jerked his head up so swiftly Ryou thought he heard a bone in the back of his neck crack. His eyes were the size of saucers, staring into Bakura's reddened orbs in pure fear and confusion. Bakura said nothing, instead roughly injecting his fangs deep into Ryou's neck once more.

Ryou, frozen, felt Bakura's grip tighten. He could feel Bakura yanking on his wrists, in pain. He heard a lone moan, feeling warm blood cascade down his neck.

He couldn't stop. Bakura's eyes were snapped shut, embracing Ryou's sweet, crimson substance. He wanted to stop, and he wanted it to go away. He didn't want this. But of course, things only worked against him…

Soon Ryou felt lightheaded. Weakly, he pulled his wrists. "Bakura…"

Bakura merely bit down twice as hard as a response, earning a greater stream of blood.

"Bakura, please, stop! You're hurting me…" Ryou whispered. It was true… His entire body hurt all over, and he could barely see from how much blood Bakura had drained away. _Please…not again…_

But Ryou's hopes were in vain, for his wings began to droop and the dull gray began to overtake his once pure feathers. Ryou tensed visibly, trying to free himself, but Bakura's grip was like a vise, and he wouldn't let go. "Bakura! Stop it!"

Bakura didn't seem to hear.

Ryou whimpered, a few tears rolling down his face. "B-Bakura…y…you're…h-hurting m-me…" He whispered, desperately trying to get free. Bakura's grip had created deep puncture wounds in his wrists that were dripping blood…

Suddenly an enormous wave came crashing down on Bakura's mind. He realized what was going on, and quickly removed his fangs, which were dripping blood. He stared at Ryou, who whimpered, as if a wounded animal, and moved away from the demon.

Bakura looked down at his hands, where his claws were decorated with blood- Ryou's blood. He swallowed, feeling a sudden lump in his throat that wouldn't go away. His heart hurt…

Cursing quietly, Bakura looked at Ryou, who was crying silently, not just because of the pain the boy was in, but because of the reality of what was happening to Bakura as well. "Ryou…"

Bakura sank to his knees, slamming his eyes shut and pounded a fist against the rock hard ground in frustration, screaming at himself and cursing. The yelling only made him cough and made blood drip out of his mouth, but he didn't care. It had happened _again_…

_Why do I have to be so stupid?! _Bakura mentally raged. _I keep hurting him. I keep damaging myself. Why do I keep giving in?! Why am I so _weak_?! Why does my image always have to act up?! _Bakura didn't notice how hard he was squeezing his own wrist, and when he removed his hand, a giant ribbon of blood poured down his forearm from his claws. _…Great…_

Blood was trickling down his knuckles from where he had been punching the ground. He didn't feel any pain in his hand. He was about to hit the floor again when a hand caught his wrist. His eyes rose quickly.

Ryou held his wrist gently, eyes still spilling tears, but they had softened. "Please… Stop this…"

"…I…I can't…" Bakura said softly, his fingers curling up. "…I…I keep hurting you… I can't…control my image…"

"Bakura." Ryou's voice became suddenly stern. "You can't help it. You're trying your best to hold it back, but eventually you can't take anymore and you _have _to let it out. Holding it in only makes things harder on yourself. " Ryou sighed, lowering his gaze. "…I…I don't like it…but…" His eyes focused on Bakura's red ones. "…But…just do what you need to do, okay?"

_I just hate it when I'm like this… _Bakura whispered mentally. Saddened red orbs lowered. His senses were finally calming down, but it didn't make him feel any better. Without another word he got to his feet, still bleeding, and walked off, leaving Ryou alone.

After a while Ryou collected himself and followed, finding Bakura high up in a tree, his legs dangling. His expression was blank, along with his eyes, and he seemed to be very deep in thought.

Bakura's wings were wrapped about his body partially for warmth, since he was unsure if his senses were affecting him, since earlier he had been strangely hot. But right now he felt nothing, and saw nothing. He was in his own world, absorbed in his own thoughts. Deep within his mind…

Ryou stood there for a moment, staring up at Bakura. But when he realized Bakura didn't notice anything, he merely sat down on the grass and decided to wait instead.

Calculations, regrets, plans, emotions… Thousands and near millions of those and more ran through Bakura's head. It took time. He didn't even notice when the sun slowly began to rise hours later, and didn't notice his fangs and claws fading away. Only when a bright stream of sunlight poured into his eyes did he notice.

He was about to go off to find Ryou, but when he glanced down, found him curled up in the grass, asleep.

Bakura spread his wings, jumping from the tree. But exhaustion had completely overpowered him. He fell to the ground, managing to land on his feet before dropping instantly to his knees.

Minutes passed before he collected himself.

He stood up on shaky legs, and picked Ryou up, who slept right through the movement. Throwing the boy over his shoulder Bakura couldn't help but be jealous. _Lucky kid. _He thought a little bitterly, in a hateful rage from the experience from mere hours ago.

* * *

Chapter 17: End.


	18. Chapter 18

By mid-afternoon Bakura was barely standing. Ryou, who was apparently beyond exhausted from last night, was still sleeping, on the demon's back.

Bakura took a harsh breath, his steps shaky. He could see the rough sketchy outline of the village up ahead, and he was forcing himself. He was in a very poor condition, and deep down he knew it wouldn't be much longer before he would collapse.

Finally he reached the outskirts.

He figured out slowly it was a village of demons. Black, red, and gray wings surrounded him. He received a few stares as he trudged past the citizens, taking his walk step by step. He could barely feel his body anymore…

Suddenly a wave of dizziness and nausea crashed over him, and his strength melted away. His knees went out, and he collapsed onto his stomach with Ryou still on his back. He heard a few shouts, but the world was fading away fast…

It was mere minutes before the man fainted.

"Get him water, and put him in the shade. See if he's wounded. He's not doing so well right now. I can tell."

* * *

Bakura moaned. A cool breeze drifted over his face, relaxing him from his rigid state slightly. His entire body hurt, and his throat was so dry it ached. He couldn't feel his hands or legs, and his heartbeat seemed quicker than average. With a blurry glance around he realized Ryou was gone. 

"Ryou!" Bakura screamed as he realized, and sat bolt upright, but instantly regretted it. A gigantic wave of pain flooded through his body, and a painful feel rushed into his hands and legs. His wings straightened, as if buckling themselves, and he collapsed back onto the bed he was upon.

Slowly he opened his eyes, and lifted his hand slightly, dragging it through his bangs. Weakly, he spoke, "…Where's…Ryou?"

"You mean the other kid?"

Bakura slightly nodded.

"He's in the room next door, sleeping. He woke up a little while ago but fell back asleep."

Bakura didn't say anything, staring up at the ceiling. He managed to speak after a few minutes. "…Where…am I…?"

"The inn. The owner took you in when he saw you collapse outside. He didn't want to let in the other one though…since…you know…this is a demon village…"

Bakura's eyes opened a little wider, and he managed to turn his head. His brow furrowed as he noticed a pair of pale gold wings that were lined with silver on the tips. "…Wait… You're…an angel…?"

"Yeah." The boy sighed. "My sister and I came here for a job. Luckily we managed to get in because the landlord took a liking to my sister, though he's harder on me." The teenager pouted slightly.

"…I…I want…to see…Ryou…" Bakura said quietly. For some reason the atmosphere around him gave him an uneasy feel. Maybe because he didn't know these people and Ryou wasn't within his sight?

"All right, fine." The boy sighed. "Come on."

Bakura hissed as the blonde touched him. "I can…do it myself…" He said, trying to prove his point by standing up, although his legs were unsteady.

Bakura followed the angel into the room attached to his own, a little surprised when he saw Ryou sitting up in bed. The albino smiled at him, looking in a much better condition than Bakura.

Bakura silently made his way over to the bed, and sat down. He gave Ryou a weak, exhausted smile, feeling sick, as if he was going to throw up.

"…Are…you okay?" Ryou asked, seeing how pale Bakura was.

"He has a fever." The other angel spoke up.

"Oh, right. Bakura, this is Jounouchi. Everyone just calls him Jou, though." Ryou said with a smile, but it faded quickly. "Do you need some water or something, Bakura?"

Bakura didn't answer.

"I'll get him some." Jou muttered, and left.

Ryou pulled Bakura up, and laid him onto his back. The bridge of the man's nose was red from his fever, and the rest of his face was a deathly white. Ryou slid out from under his pile of covers, hovering over Bakura with worried eyes. "Tell me what's wrong."

"…E…Everything…" Bakura whispered, shutting his eyes. _Great…first my vampire image goes crazy and now I'm getting sick… What next…?_

Bakura opened his eyes slightly as footsteps sounded. He heard Ryou talking, but he couldn't see anymore…

"Let me do it." Ryou said, picking up a small towel from the bedside table and drenched it with the cold water, forcing it onto Bakura's forehead, who visibly stiffened. Taking the rest of the water, Ryou helped Bakura sit upright slightly, and handed him the glass.

Bakura downed it instantly, his throat still horribly dry. He decided to stay silent.

"I…I think he should stay in here. I…I can watch him." Ryou said quietly, looking down at Bakura, whose eyes were shut now, apparently starting to drift off into slumber.

"…All right."

Ryou watched him leave, before staring down at Bakura. He grimaced at the deep, swollen marks and cuts from last night, from Bakura's claws and where he had been punching the ground. Ryou's frown deepened, noticing they almost looked infected already, apparently from so much travel.

Ryou stood up, and walked across the room, the wooden floor creaking quietly. He collected a bowl, and a roll of bandages, pouring water and peroxide into the bowl. He carried the supplies back over to the bed, and sat down with the bowl in front of him, and placed the bandages into the bowl, letting them soak.

In the meantime Ryou began to examine the cuts. The ones on Bakura's forearm looked the worst; swollen and red, and decorated with blood, and appeared to be really deep.

After a few minutes passed, Ryou fished out a dripping bandage, and began to wrap it around Bakura's cut up hand. After it was wrapped around enough, he cut the bandage with a pair of scissors that were sitting on the bedside table, and tied it. Then he started on the man's arm.

Using just a little bit of his healing magic, he managed to get rid of the slight infection that was taking place. He would've completely taken care of it with his magic, but not knowing how it would affect Bakura's condition, he decided against it. Taking out the longer bandage, he started around the first hole, and went upwards.

Bakura screamed in his sleep from the peroxide, but apparently he was so exhausted he didn't awaken. Slowly he calmed, and went silent as Ryou finished.

With Bakura asleep and taken care of, Ryou found himself with nothing to do. he wasn't tired, since he had slept so long. Getting up he walked across the room to look out of the window, to find that they were in the top floor bedroom. The view didn't allow much since the village wasn't exactly beautiful in the first place.

Pushing himself away Ryou started down the stairs towards the main floor in an attempt to make him and Bakura something to eat.

* * *

_Oh… _Bakura's thoughts were slow, and he was so tired he could barely keep his eyes open. _What…happened…?_

He lifted his hand, which took a ton of strength to manage, and ran it through his hair. He noticed the washcloth on his forehead, which was cool and relaxing. He felt horrible…

"Bakura? You awake?"

Bakura weakly turned his head, to see Ryou coming up the stairs and into the room. He was carrying a tray in his arms, and his eyes- that Bakura could barely see due to his blurred vision- seemed to be softer in concern. He nodded, just barely.

"Good." Ryou said, and walked over to the bed. He sat down, at Bakura's side, who merely laid there and stared blankly up at the ceiling. "…Are…you hungry? I…I made dinner…"

Bakura noticed that the tray Ryou had been carrying was full of food. _H…He…made all of this…for…me?_

"I know you're sick. You're going to have to eat _something_. The medicine is going to make you throw up if you don't eat a little something…"

_What medicine…? _Bakura thought, a little flash of confusion in his eyes. Ryou noticed instantly.

"Jou gave me some pills for you to take that's supposed to be helping your fever." Ryou frowned a little. "…I…I think…maybe…the sickness is from the heat-"

"…N-No…" Bakura stuttered. "…V…Vampire…"

Ryou raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "From the vampire incident?" He bit his lip at Bakura's exhausted nod. "…Bakura… I don't…"

"…It's…true…" Bakura whispered, looking away. "…Feeling…bad…earlier…"

"…Wait. So you were feeling a bit like this before? When your vampire senses were acting up?" Bakura nodded.

Bakura didn't say anything else. Ryou helped him sit up, and Bakura sat there, under the covers and resting against the headboard, the tray of food Ryou made sitting in his lap. He really wasn't hungry…but Ryou said he had to eat. And if he didn't, he'd only hurt the boy's feelings…

Ryou watched Bakura eat in silence. Apparently Bakura was forcing himself to take in the food, because his hand and fork trembled and his eyes proved he could barely see what was in front of him because they were glassy and near blank.

Finally Bakura slowed, and stopped eating altogether. Ryou picked up the tray, and set it down on the side table. Bakura laid down, and stared at the wall, waiting for sleep to come.

"Bakura… I'm sorry about how you're feeling…" Ryou said, not liking it when Bakura wasn't doing so well.

"…Not…your fault…" Bakura whispered, and closed his eyes. It was only minutes before he fell asleep.

While Bakura slept, Ryou merely sat there, and waited and watched. Bakura slept soundly the whole time. Finally, as Ryou checked the hour, he found he had to give Bakura another dose of medicine.

Luckily Bakura's mouth was open slightly when he slept.

Taking a handful of Bakura's hair, Ryou gently forced his head backwards. Bakura swallowed the pill instantly, and slept right through it. Ryou couldn't help but smile. _At least this way he won't fight about taking them…_

Curiosity plagued Ryou's mind. A little hesitantly he grasped Bakura's shoulders, and closed his eyes.

Bakura's dreams instantly flowed into Ryou's brain.

The angel watched quietly, watching tons of different memories. Mostly it dealt with the man's past; failed attempts at the key branch of government, vampire rampages, and memories he could remember himself. He could feel Bakura's guilt in some of them; the ones that dealt with him made his own heart ache a little bit, remembering the pain.

Ryou finally let go, and opened his eyes. Bakura was still sleeping soundly, unaware of Ryou peeking into his consciousness. His chest rose and fell in a rhythm, the washcloth still on his forehead. His skin remained that same deadly white, and his hair had grown slightly matted.

Slowly Ryou began to doze. He finally fell asleep himself, joining the man in slumber, both dreaming of the past, present, and what they thought awaited them soon enough.

* * *

Chapter 18: End. 


	19. Chapter 19

Ryou was walking up the stairs, hefting another tray in his arms for Bakura's dinner. Opening the door to the bedroom, he frowned a little, finding Bakura surprisingly awake. The man didn't even notice Ryou's entrance.

"Bakura?" Ryou asked softly, going over to the bed. He frowned deeply.

Bakura was breathing hard and heavy, and clutching the sheets on the bed. Beads of sweat rolled down his neck, and he was tossing and turning under the covers. He opened his eyes to try to look at Ryou, but found he couldn't manage. He couldn't see.

"Bakura…are…you okay?" Ryou asked, walking quicker, and over to the bed. He placed the tray on the bedside table, and sat down next to Bakura.

"…R…Ryou…?" Bakura choked out, one eye closed in pain. He could see the angel just barely, but he was nothing but a smudge and a mere outline. "I…It…h…hurts…"

"What hurts? Bakura, what's wrong?"

"E…Everything…" Bakura whispered, his eyes closed again; his chest rose and fell sharply.

Ryou frowned. "Hold on…" He got up, and rummaged through the drawers, coming back quickly. "Stay still." Ryou said, forcing the thermometer into Bakura's mouth. He removed it at the beep, his eyes widening.

Bakura's fever had only skyrocketed since yesterday.

"R…Ryou…" Bakura's hands curled up. "…I…I'm cold…"

Ryou bit his lip. He knew he couldn't give Bakura any more blankets. If he gave him any other ones it would only make him hotter. Sitting down beside Bakura, who was panting even harder than a few minutes ago, he felt his heart clench in pity. "Bakura…"

"R-Ryou…m…make…it…stop…please… M-Make it…stop…" Bakura was almost begging, his eyes clamped shut.

_What do I do? _Ryou thought, panicking a little. _If this keeps up he's going to die from fever… _He thought about calling Jou, but stopped when Bakura started to cough. _No…_

What was going on? Bakura found he couldn't see anything but darkness. He was full of pain, but he could feel himself coughing and found he was breathing quite hard. _Please… Make it stop…_

Ryou's mind was racing. _Wait. He said this had to deal with his vampire image… _Without any hesitation, Ryou pulled down the collar on his shirt. "Bakura. Bakura, look at me."

Bakura did so, following the sound of Ryou's voice since he couldn't see his face.

"…Use me, Bakura. Please. I want you to get better. Take my blood."

"…N…No…" Bakura whispered. But he could feel his control going downhill. He felt so sick, and it was dark outside. Even though there wasn't a full moon, he could feel his heartbeat going faster, and the grip he could manage began to grow.

"Bakura, do it. Listen to me! Use me!" Ryou screamed, almost crying. He could see Bakura's fangs curving outward by now, and his claws were almost tearing holes in the sheets since his grip was so tight. "Please…"

Bakura felt Ryou grab his arms. He was yanked swiftly upright, triggering a coughing spell. He felt the grip grow even tighter. "Do it, Bakura."

Ryou was stock-still. He released Bakura, who was managing to stay upright. The man's clawed hands began to wrap around Ryou's wrists like a vise, and the panting male leaned in.

As his fangs injected, Bakura felt something inside of his stomach loosen. As if a wave of relief came over him… Ryou's blood was warm and sweet…almost pure… Groaning he bit down harder on Ryou's neck, drinking deeply.

Ryou began to feel the effects, and his head began to spin slightly. But he let Bakura continue.

Finally Bakura released his neck, and collapsed onto his back. His wings were limp, and hung over the edges of the bed. Blood rolled down his mouth, dripping onto his clothes, before he instantly fell into an exhausted slumber.

Ryou's fingers trailed over the two small, bleeding holes on his neck. _Maybe…he's really changing. Maybe he needs to start drinking more blood than usual for his health…_

Silently, Ryou sat down on the chair beside Bakura's bed, watching the man sleep, before he fell asleep himself.

* * *

Every night the acts continued. Ryou would offer himself, and Bakura would drink. He would drink as deep as he could without trying to hurt Ryou, who merely sat there in silence. 

The incidents didn't go unnoticed.

Slowly, Bakura's fever began to slip.

It was currently nighttime, and the two were in Bakura's registered room. Ryou was sitting on the bed, and Bakura's grip was about his wrists. He squeezed harshly, before taking Ryou's pale neck between his lips.

Ryou noticed how much the nights were affecting him. Each night he found he could withstand the incidents longer and longer, and he didn't get as dizzy. Apparently he was adjusting to losing blood like this…

Bakura pulled away slowly, watching Ryou, who lay down, his head spinning from the drainage. "…Ryou…"

The angel glanced at him, raising a perplexed eyebrow. His forearm was draped over his forehead; the other sprawled at his side.

"…Thanks… I…I mean… If you hadn't have figured it out I'd probably either be on a rampage or be even sicker…"

Ryou smiled. "I…I didn't like it when you were sick." His smile melted away, and he stared up at the ceiling. "…So…are…you becoming a regular vampire now…?"

Bakura pulled his legs up to his chest, and rested his head upon them, seeming thoughtful. "Honestly…I don't know. Maybe…"

Suddenly Ryou spoke up. "…Bakura…can…we go out? We're running out of the good stuff for what I use in the food I make."

Bakura nodded slightly. "Come on."

Bakura stood up, and headed to the window. Opening it, he clambered inside, and jumped. Ryou followed, right behind.

Bakura ran down the wall, and grasping the flagpole on the end, dropped to the ground. Ryou followed him.

They began to walk quietly.

"…Why is it so quiet tonight…?" Ryou asked, staying close to Bakura. The eerie glow the moon had and the dead silence frightened him.

"I don't know." Bakura whispered. His footsteps echoed. "…Usually demons are awake at night, since they sleep during the day… Well, most of them, anyway…"

Ryou jumped as he heard a loud creaking sound. "Did…you hear that?"

Bakura didn't answer. Instead, he grabbed Ryou's wrist, and took off in a run. He could smell blood…

Ryou was trembling. He could hear voices, and he could feel someone watching him. He let Bakura drag him along, but he screamed as they turned the corner.

Bakura froze as Ryou was pulled out of his grip. He whirled around to see Ryou on the ground. A chain was encircled about his left leg, blood oozing from a cut on his arm from where he fell. "B-Bakura!"

Bakura hurried over to the boy, trying to release him from the chain, but he failed. His eyes widened as the scent of blood notably grew stronger, and he could hear a growling sound…

Ryou screamed as something came out of the darkness of the corner, and jumped on top of Bakura.

Bakura snarled, his arms held up to protect his face. It seemed to be a dog sitting on top of him, but it was brown, and was growling with blood dripping down its face and covering its jaws, slipping down once white teeth. _A…A werewolf…?_

Bakura winced as the creature's claws sunk into his body, and tried to bite him. Bakura gave it a swift, powerful kick to the ribs, sending it skidding backwards.

"Ah? Caught something, boy?"

Ryou's eyes grew even wider. A man, about five inches taller came out of the corner, holding onto the end of the chain that was about Ryou's leg.

"Two in one tonight…" The man said, fishing a box out of his breast pocket. Flicking out a cigarette, he lit it with a lighter, and yanked hard on the chain holding Ryou.

Bakura growled deep in his throat. "What do you want?" He snapped, nursing his now bleeding arm.

"To get rid of you." He muttered, taking a deep drag on his cigarette. "I'm a hunter."

Bakura eyes widened. Now he understood… Getting to his feet, he ran towards Ryou, only to have the 'dog' knock him down again, pinning down his arms, and snarling. "Get _off!"_ Bakura screamed, kicking it, but it held.

"Seems you've got a friend here." The man muttered, and pulled swiftly on the chain about Ryou's ankle, lifting him slightly. Ryou merely whimpered in pain.

Bakura bared his fangs. "I _said_ get _off!"_

Ryou watched, horrified, as Bakura took a swipe at the creature, his razor sharp claws slicing across its face. It pulled back, giving Bakura mere seconds. In that little time he kicked it away, and was on his feet. But he froze.

There was a gun to Ryou's head.

"Ryou…" Bakura whispered, finding his legs unable to move.

"If you move a _muscle,_ I'll kill him."

_What do I do?_ Bakura thought, positive he felt his heart stop for a second or two. _I guess…I'll have to take a gamble…_

Reaching, unnoticed, into his back pocket, he fished out a small dagger. Throwing it, he charged at Ryou. As if the greatest of luck was on his side, the bullet connected with the knife, and by that time, Bakura was already using himself to shield Ryou.

"Hold still." Bakura murmured, working on the chain about Ryou's leg. He felt something touch him. But without another thought, his hand went to his sword, and ripped it out.

He made contact.

Ryou whimpered as blood flowed onto the sidewalk, and the hunter collapsed. Bakura yanked the chain free, and unraveled it from Ryou, helped him up. He pulled his sword free.

"…Are…you okay?" Bakura asked, a little shaky.

Ryou nodded, sniffling. "…I…I thought…he was going to kill us…"

"I wouldn't let him. You know that." Bakura stated, smiling a little, but it faded. "That's…why I hate the hunters…"

"What do you mean?"

"…I'll tell you on the way." Bakura said, and hurried off.

Ryou was right behind, and didn't let Bakura get ahead.

_This just had to happen… _Bakura thought.

A part of Ryou was afraid to let the man out of his sights.

* * *

Chapter 19: End. 


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: Ahhh. The final chapter... :0 Thanks to all the reviewers out there! You guys always make my day. :D

* * *

"Bakura…what…exactly happened last night?" Ryou asked, scowling. The cut on his arm was nothing more than healing graze now, apparently the fall not being too hard on him. 

Bakura was sitting on the bed, his jacket off, and inspecting the horrible looking claw marks in his arm, from shielding himself from the 'dog'. He grimaced. It was almost infected…

"Bakura." Ryou said, able to tell that Bakura wasn't listening to him.

"Eh?" Bakura asked, looking up from his deep, bloodied cuts.

"…I asked you what was going on last night."

"…Oh…" Bakura said, and sighed. He shifted position so that he was sitting cross-legged, and sighed once more. "Well… That man…was a vampire hunter. Vampire hunters can hunt vampires down by themselves or use companions… Apparently that man's companion was a…a permanent werewolf, I suppose… Anyway, most of them use special types of things to detect vampire scents, or use blood as bait. I…guess you got involved because you were with me…

"…That's another reason I've been planning the overthrow. They think just because vampires have to feed on others, that they're a nuisance, and mere creatures of insanity."

"…Maybe they're just afraid."

"What do you mean?" Bakura asked, raising a snowy eyebrow.

"…Since vampires have to feed on other people, they might be afraid that they'll cause other races to die out from something gone wrong…" Ryou said, his brow furrowing in thought. "Maybe…"

"I still don't like them." Bakura muttered, his head in his hand, staring out the window.

"Bakura…what…was your first encounter with a hunter?" Ryou asked quietly. He flinched a little when Bakura's eyes visibly narrowed, and a glint of _something _was in the man's eyes… "I…I'm sorry. I…I didn't-"

"It's not your fault." Bakura muttered. He sighed, looking out the window. "It was a long time ago when I met a hunter for the first time…

"It was winter. Marik and I were sent to a village for war postponements. While we were there, a terrible snowstorm started…and we became snowed in…

"By then my senses had triggered. I couldn't leave. The door was basically barricaded from the snow and ice, and the windows were frozen shut…

"The inn we were at was enormous. I tried to go out into the hallway for victims, but Marik wouldn't let me… Which started a vicious fight…

"I punched him, but he wouldn't let go. My claws…they got his neck… If I had gone a little higher I could've made him lose an eye…

"By then Marik had let go, trying to bandage his neck, which was bleeding heavily. I ran outside and into the hallway… I couldn't see clearly. My heart was beating so fast it hurt…

"There…was two angels trying to get a room to sleep for the night, on the main floor. I had gone down there to start my search. But the owner was a demon, and wouldn't accept them… But they couldn't leave. They were snowed in, just like us. So the owner said they'd have to sleep in the lobby and still pay rent…

"When the owner left, the angels tried to go upstairs…but…I was on the staircase…

"They tried to run, but they didn't get far. I was out of control already… I can remember them screaming for me to let go, and I had the one by his necklace, yanking it so hard he was almost suffocating… The other one was crying and screaming, and fighting, trying to get free…

"I only had a chance to use one of them. I drank as deep as I could, and pushed the man with the necklace down. He had fainted from the blood loss and lack of oxygen from me choking him with his pendant… And I started towards the second one.

"The screaming had woken up half of the residents. People were coming out of their rooms, but this one man… He led the way down the stairs… Everyone else was at the stairs on the second floor, watching from a distance… But he came right down the steps…" Bakura's voice grew quieter, and his eyes were clouded with memory. "…He had these leather boots that made his footsteps loud and heavy, and a trench coat like mine, but the end was longer, and covered more of his body. He had this gun in his right hand, and a mess of black hair that reached the middle of his back, and a hat…

"He came down the steps, and lit a cigarette… He pointed that gun right at my head, and began to curse at me. When I looked at him…I can remember I had blood running down my neck and staining my lips and shirt…

"There was such a disgust in his eyes… He was about to pull the trigger… And Marik came charging down the stairs, yelling for me to stop…

"…Marik was my barrier. Without him there at the moment, that man would've probably blown my brains out." Bakura murmured softly, and closed his eyes. "…I slept for two straight days after that. I couldn't eat. The blood and the whole situation had taken so much out of me…

"And then…when the snow melted…we were leaving. Marik was turning in the card key at the front desk, and I was on the couch in the lobby… The hunter with the gun came down the steps right then, with that gun still in his hand… And then I finally got to read what it said…

"D.B.V… Dying Bloodied Vampires…"

Ryou was dead silent. He didn't know what to say. What _could _he say?

Bakura was staring out of the window again, a faraway look in his dark eyes. "…Maybe…he should've killed me right then-"

"Don't say that." Ryou said quietly.

"But he should've. At least then-"

"Stop it!" Ryou screamed. "Bakura, please… It wasn't your fault. Don't say things like that…"

Bakura turned his head silently, to see Ryou getting under the covers on his bed. His back faced Bakura, and his white hair furling out behind him, over the pillow.

Two tears ran down Ryou's face before he buried his head in the pillow, and fell asleep.

* * *

Ryou stirred, before opening his eyes. It was just becoming daybreak. He lifted his head to find himself on Bakura's back, the man walking at a normal pace. "…Bakura…? What's going on…?" 

"I went ahead and left about an hour ago. We need to keep moving. Time is eventually going to run out."

Ryou just sat there. Soon the sun came up, and Bakura's claws and fangs and blood red eyes changed. Ryou noticed this quickly, and decided to bring it up. "Bakura…about your vampire image… Are you becoming a regular vampire at night nowadays?"

Bakura didn't answer him right away, but thought about it first. "…I guess so. I mean…every night the same thing happens. I'm in need of blood more and more…"

"…But maybe…it's just because you were sick…"

"…I don't know. But when we get to the royal grounds, and succeed in the overthrow, I'm going to do something about it."

"Bakura…you don't have to try to change it. It's…I guess you could say it's a part of who you are. If you weren't a partial vampire, you wouldn't be exactly the same as you are now."

Bakura didn't say anything.

Ryou could sense the man's uneasy state. He decided to change the subject. "…Bakura…after all of this…can we get a cat?"

Bakura stopped in his tracks, taken aback by the question. "Huh?"

"You know. When everything is over and we'll go back, can we get a kitten?"

Bakura sighed deeply, his shoulders slumping a little. "…I guess… But…I can't guarantee we'll actually go back, Ryou…"

"What do you mean?"

"…It's two against a whole army, basically. We might not live through this. Or they might capture us and we'll be held as prisoners until we die. And even if we succeed, the road back may not be pleasant… You understand?"

"…Yeah…" Ryou said quietly.

"Don't feel too down, Ryou." Bakura said, starting up again. "If everything ends well, I promise we can get a cat. Maybe two."

Ryou smiled brightly.

* * *

Bakura was walking almost the whole day. Ryou had dozed off at sundown, and it was currently dusk. Bakura had decided to stop for them to get dinner. 

Ryou glanced up to see Bakura down his drink. Ryou couldn't help but frown a little. _He's only going to get drunk again…_

Bakura smiled a little, as if reading Ryou's thoughts. "One more time can't hurt, besides, I may not get another chance."

Bakura turned around on his barstool so that he faced the world around him, holding onto his drink with his right hand, his left arm draped over the greenish counter.

Ryou blinked, able to hear Bakura humming along with the music.

The night dragged on. Bakura had gotten Ryou a few drinks along the way, and it was showing. Ryou's face was flushed a bit, giggling constantly as if everything Bakura said was one big joke. Bakura, who had taken in so much more alcohol than Ryou, sometimes joined Ryou in the laughter, but his was much louder.

Finally they decided to rent a room, both of them knowing Bakura wasn't going to be able to function much later on.

Bakura entered the room first, going instantly over to the bed and flopped down. Ryou, giggling, sat down beside him.

"You know, Ryou…" Bakura said, trying to sound serious, but failed. "…Maybe after this…there won't be any more fights. None period…"

It wasn't long before Bakura slipped out, either asleep or unconscious, Ryou couldn't tell.

But he didn't mind.

He took the blankets and pulled them over Bakura, before going over to the other bed in the room. He climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers, and said to the other male, "…Good night, Bakura…"

And he fell asleep.

The two slept soundly, Bakura's deep breathing emitting through the enclosed space. Neither of them moved.

But even though they were asleep, they were wishing, hoping…

They could see what they thought awaited them. But to get to the future, they'd have to throw away the past. To step over that hill of difficulty to get to the other side… To climb the wall, and get to what was next…

And that was okay.

Because if things went just right, maybe the whole realm would be turned upside-down… And maybe then they could live how they want…

* * *

Chapter 20: End. 

THE END. :D

So yeah. Part V will be coming out real soon (the last one in the series). Then I promise I will finish up Haunted, Needing Hope, and work harder on my other fics, and when those are done, I have some more fics awaiting you! But, please, I need your patience...

Much love! ♥

-Clouded-Days.


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